A Reason To Be Thankful
by Jessica L.A
Summary: It's been some odd months since Kensi Blye was reassigned on a classified mission, so the OPS crew celebrate Thanksgiving in the only way they know how - with her mother, Julia. Little do they know that a special gift is on it's way to them, to Deeks. Appearances By: Team Gibbs & Jenny Shepard [Densi-centric]
1. Plans

**Author's Note:** Hi everyone, I just want to say that this is my very FIRST time writing Densi/NCIS/NCIS LA so please go easy on me. I know that this is a little bit late, but I have been busy as it has been the holiday, but I'm hoping that you like this. Please note that there are some spoilers in here if you haven't seen NCIS LA 5x10 and I've also made a few slight changes that are...well, you'll see as you continue to read ;) Hopefully you enjoy it and I get the last two(?) chapters up ASAP!

* * *

**=A Reason To Be Thankful=**

**-Chapter One: Plans-**

"So we'll see you tomorrow at two?"

"Deeks?" No reply, "Deeks? Yo Deeks!"

"Huh? What?" The blonde, shaggy haired surfer asked, coming out of his daze.

"I said: 'we'll see you tomorrow at two' right?" The NCIS LA Office of Special Projects team leader, G Callen asked, he and his partner, Sam Hanna, taking note that once again the blue-eyed man was staring at the empty desk that sat diagonal from his.

"Yes, two o'clock sharp, or suffer the wrath of Mom & Jenny," Marty Deeks replied with a smirk.

"You know, G, isn't it funny that he refers to his partner's mom as just that, mom?" The ex-SEAL asked his partner with a smirk.

"You forget Sam that they aren't just partners anymore," Callen smirked and reminded the man.

"Ah, that's right I forgot all about She-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named's walk of shame," the second oldest male 'remembered'.

"Like you're the one to talk about crossing the line," Deeks smirked at the federal agent, whose desk sat beside his. "And really word editing a Harry Potter term to fit her? Really?"

"Who's crossing the line?" Nell Jones, the NCIS OSP analyst, asked as she came down the stairs with her partner, technical wizard Eric Beale.

"Deeks with Kensi, and Sam with Michelle," Callen answered as he leaned back in his leather chair with a smirk, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Ah, partner's that crossed the line," the blonde haired, glasses wearing man replied with a smirk.

"A dangerous line to cross," Nell agreed.

"As if you two could talk," Sam shot at them with a glare.

"Yeah, shall we remind you..." Deeks agreed with Sam.

"Christmas," the two men said together and shared a smirk and high-five when the two's faces went bright red as Callen laughed at the antics of his team.

"Ah partner's crossing the line, such a fragile line to cross unless done in a careful way," the NCIS OSP director, Heneritta 'Hetty' Lange made her presence known and took special note as she always did about how they would all sober up and try to quickly hide their glares and anger at her for taking away a member of their family for an undetermined amount of time. "I just wanted to say, that I hope you all have a Happy Thanksgiving and that you make sure you stay safe if you're planning on traveling as I find myself doing. I also hope that shall you find yourself shopping on either Gray Thursday or Black Friday that you be careful, use no violence, and I also hope that you spend time with the people you love and remember to thank the men and women who are serving our country still. Have a Happy Thanksgiving, I will see you all on Tuesday, now if you excuse me I'm off to Washington."

"Happy Thanksgiving," the team all tried to chorus with happiness, although they knew the mysterious dwarf like woman could read straight their their facades because even for a group of specially trained operators trained in the act of being invisible and taking on different personas; they couldn't hide their true feelings when it came to family because frankly they didn't care if she knew they were pissed off at her.

_I truly hope it's a happy day for them, I think it will be_, Hetty thought as she turned away from them to gather her things to head to LAX where a plan would take her to DC to celebrate Thanksgiving with other heads of different departments as well as dessert with the President of the United States, but her team didn't need to know about the last part.

"So tomorrow, two o'clock sharp, don't be late," Deeks told the group taking his tan bag and draping it across his body with a smile as he slipped into his brown leather jacket before heading out into the cold California weather.

* * *

**THANKSGIVING 2013**

**2:00PM – JULIA FELDMAN'S HOUSE**

"Wow, I'm shocked, everyone's on time at the same time," the California native said as he got out of a silver Cadillac SUV dressed in a nice pair of medium wash jeans held up by nice belt made of dark brown leather, dark brown boots, a watch, and his dark brown leather jacket.

"This coming from the person who comes into work late because he's too busy catching waves," Callen stated as he got out of his silver Mercedes-Benz dressed in a pair of nice medium wash jeans, a black button down shirt, and black boots as well as a black jacket.

"Remember G, She-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named has been training him well," Sam said as he stepped out of the driver's side of his wife, Michelle's, white Lexus in a pair of dark wash jeans, a maroon shirt, and a black jacket.

"You mean like I've got you trained?" His wife asked as she stepped out of the passenger seat with a smirk and a raised eyebrow and dressed in a pair of black skinny jeans, a white silk shirt, and a black sweater underneath her grey peacoat and black, peep-toe Milano heels on her feet.

"And I never said that you didn't have me trained," Sam replied to his wife as he opened the driver's side passenger door to unbuckle the seatbelt to the children's seat of his youngest child, his daughter Grace while his wife was on the other side doing the same to their oldest child, a son by the name of Alexander and to the middle child Matthew.

"By you Michelle, or by Callen?" Deeks asked the mother and wife with a smile and raised eyebrow as he leaned back against the silver vehicle as a green Jeep pulled into the driveway.

"That's a very good question, Deeks," Michelle replied sharing a smirk with him and giving him a wink causing her husband to roll his eyes with a groan while his partner doubled over in laughter.

"Daddy it's not nice to roll your eyes," Grace told her father before leaning in and 'whispering', "but I won't tell mommy if you don't."

Everyone that heard the apple of her father's eye tried to hide their snickers as the father laughed and winked at his daughter before swooping down and placing a loud kiss on her cheek causing her to squeal loudly.

"Hey guys! Happy Thanksgiving," a very happy Nell exclaimed as she hoped out of the passenger seat of the green Jeep dressed in a black sweater dress with grey leggings, black flat knee-high boots and her black peacoat.

"Yeah, what she said," the tech wizard said as he rounded the vehicle and shocked them all by his choice of clothing, it wasn't the white shirt or the white and blue pinstriped unbutton shirt over it but the medium wash jeans, black belt, and black sneakers as well as a black jacket.

"Am I..." Deeks started his thought, trailing off.

"Are we..." Callen added.

"Nope, I see it also," Sam agreed with the two's shock while his wife rolled her eyes.

"I know right?!" Nell exclaimed before turning quickly and saying, "See Eric, I told you so, I told you so, _I told you so_!"

"Oh wow, you gave her caffeine early this morning didn't you Eric?" G asked the short blonde haired man as they all walked towards the front door of the beautiful three story house.

"Possibly," Eric replied with a sheepish smile.

"Hi everyone! Come in, come in, Happy Thanksgiving," a woman said as she opened the door after hearing the doorbell ring. Dressed in a beautiful orange wrap dress with black heels, Julia Feldman quickly ushered them inside before taking the tallest, blonde surfer in her arms for a hug, "Marty, how are you?"

"I'm fine, Mom, you just saw me last night for dinner," he told her, returning the hug with a smile before pulling away and walking toward the door in the hall and storing his leather jacket in it, revealing the blue, short sleeved, v-neck T-shirt he wore that made his golden tan and ocean-blue-eyes stand out all the more.

"I know but it's Thanksgiving and with Kensi not being here for your first ever one together as a couple, and knowing what I know about how you perviously celebrated the holiday, I just thought," Julia started, mentioning the name everyone was trying to avoid, the name of the team's little sister, Julia's daughter, and Deeks' partner, his everything, his Kensi Marie Blye who was on a classified mission somewhere's on the other half of the world.

"Julia, Sis, breathe," a new voice said as she walked out of the kitchen dressed in a black lace dress with a white sweater and pair of white Jimmy Choo's, her long red hair pulled into a low-side ponytail.

"Hi, Jenny, Happy Thanksgiving," Deeks greeted Julia's sister, who just happened to be none-other-than the previous head of NCIS, Jenny Shepard, or well Jenny Gibbs now.

"Marty, Happy Thanksgiving," Jenny greeted the young man, pulling him in a for a hug before crouching down to kiss his dog, Monty, on the nose and scratch him behind the ears, "Hi cutie, Happy Thanksgiving."

"You know, you keep spoiling him Jen and he's going to want to come home with us," a male's voice said as he walked out of the kitchen holding a tumbler of bourbon.

"Oh shush Jethro," Jenny told her husband, Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, the team leader of the main NCIS Washington DC team, who leaned against the doorframe in nice jeans, a white shirt peaking out from underneath his grey button down shirt, and a pair of black shoes with a smile on his face as he gazed at his wife.

"Happy Thanksgiving," Gibbs greeted the NCIS OSP team with a small smile.

"Was that a smile I saw?" His used-to-be-partner asked with a smirk and raised eyebrow, arms crossed over his chest.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Probie," Gibbs smirked at the other team leader.

"Probie, really? I haven't been that in a long time," Callen told his long time friend with a groan.

"How do he feels when Franks does it to him?" Jenny told Callen with a smirk while Gibbs just rolled his eyes and walked back into the kitchen.

"So where's the rest of the team?" Sam asked Gibbs once they were all done with the pleasantries.

"On their way from the airport," Gibbs replied with a smirk, "you guys want anything to drink?"

"Bourbon," Callen and Sam both said.

"I'll have a glass of wine if you've got some, please" Michelle replied.

"The same please," Nell agreed.

"Sutter Home Merlot, Sutter Home Sauvignon Blanc, Sutter Home Cabernet Sauvignon, Sutter Home White Cabernet Sauvignon, Sutter Home White Zinfandel, and Sutter Home Zinfandel," Julia listed off the top of her head as she finished topping off the sweet potato casserole with mini-marshmallows.

"Merlot, please," Michelle replied.

"Cabernet Sauvignon, please," Nell replied.

"Beale?"

"I've got his, Gibbs," Deeks told the older man from another room.

"Wait, where'd he go?" Sam asked looking for his team mate.

"It's a secret," Deeks told him coming back into the kitchen with a tall glass and handed it to Eric, "Captain Morgan and Coke with lime."

"Thanks, man," Eric replied with a smile.

"Sure thing," the surfer replied.

"Deeks? How about you? Bourbon?" Callen asked the tall man noticing he didn't have a drink.

"I -" He started to say but was interrupted.

"I've got it right here," Jenny said handing Deeks a glass with a smile. Seeing his confused look, she admitted, "Early this morning we got a call from a secure line..."

"Kens," Deeks breathed in surprise, eyes wide and heart slamming against his ribcage.

"Yes," Jenny replied with a smile, "they let up a little and let her call from a ultra secure line to tell us she was safe and to wish us a happy holiday."

"She also wanted to make sure you were okay and wanted to make sure that we made you the drink you two dubbed as yours, Pinnacle Whipped Vodka with Mountain Dew. She also wanted me to tell you that they're allowing her to call again tonight so she'll use that time to call you so make sure you have your cell with you, and she said she missed you," Julia told him with a smile.

"I miss her too, so much," he replied softly.

"I know, Sweetie, I know," Julia replied with a soft smile as the doorbell sounded.

"That will be the rest of this motley crew," Gibbs stated as he walked out of the kitchen to the foyer to let the rest of their family in.

"Just in time, too," Jenny replied as she and Julia started to carry the dishes of the most mouth watering smelling food out to the dining room table that could sit their group of seventeen.

"Here Mom let me," Deeks said taking the pot hold holders from Julia and taking the turkey out of the oven himself so Julia couldn't get burned.

"Thanks Sweetie," Julia replied as she grabbed the craving knife and fork in order to cut the turkey after it cooled down some.

"Would you like me to carry it out to the table?" He asked her with a smile.

"No thank you," Julia replied, "I've got to let it cool down and then separate it into dark and white meat."

"Alright well if you need anything else just holler," the surfer told her.

"I will," Julia promised him before shooing him out of the kitchen, "Now go pick out a seat."

"If you're sure," he said and seeing her nod her head, he grabbed his glass and walked out to the dining room only to chuckle at the name cards placed in front of each seat. Finding his between an unmarked seat that only had reserved on it and Julia's seat he set his glass down next to the elegant china and wine glasses already set out amongst the table of guests. He smiled as he watched Team Gibbs – Abby Scuito, Timothy McGee, Anthony DiNozzo, Ziva David, Donald Mallard, Jimmy and Breena Palmer, and Gibbs– greet himself and the rest of the LA Team before mixing themselves up in the seating arrangements as Jenny and Julia brought out the last of the food as the doorbell rang again much to everyone's surprise.

"Um, isn't everyone here that's supposed to be here, well here?" McGee asked from his spot between Tony and Abby.

"I think so," Nell replied.

"Marty can you get the door, it's our last minute invite," Julia requested from the kitchen where she and Jenny sharing a smile as they cut up the turkey.

"Sure thing," he replied back as he backed his chair up and stood to go answer the door. Not knowing who was on the other side of the door, he put on the fake smile he's been wearing for some weeks and opened the door with, "Hi come on -"

"Hi Max, am I late?" A voice that he would recognize anywhere's sounded.

_**To Be Continued?**_

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_**Well, there is the first chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed it.  
Trivia: Who's at the other end of the door ;D  
Happy Holidays,**_

_**Jess LA, xo**_

**Let it go, let it go  
Can't hold it back anymore  
Turn my back and slam the door**  
_~ "Let It Go" from Disney's "Frozen" by either Demi Lovato or Idina Menzel_


	2. Surprise

_**Author's Note:**_ Well, here's chapter two. I hope you guys enjoy it.  
**SPOILERS AHEAD:** For "Hunger Games: Catching Fire"

* * *

**=A Reason To Be Thankful=**

**-Chapter Two: Surprise-**

"_Hi Max, am I late?" A voice that he would recognize anywhere's sounded._

"K...Kens?!" He asked shocked staring at the beautiful woman, who looked like a vision in a beautiful blue, lace tank dress that fell to mid-thigh on her long tanned and toned legs that also sported a pair of black leather, 'Pitou', five-inch heeled, Christian Louboutin peep-toe sandals. Her tone arms were covered in a cream colored Dorothy Perkins, lace buttonless cardigan while her chocolate brown waves longer than he remembered cascaded around her face, down her back, and around her shoulders; and her beautiful and flawless face was covered in minimum make-up with just black eyeliner and mascara to make her one-brown and one-black eye's pop. "Am I...Are you...Am I..."

He watched as the oh-so-kissable, shiny plump lips smirked with a raised eyebrow before her arm swung out and got him in the shoulder.

"Okay, OW!" He exclaimed before a mega-watt grin grew on his face and he quickly pulled his girl into his arms with a breathless sigh, "Oh Kens..."

"Hey Shaggy," she replied softly as her arms wrapped tightly around his toned waist, grabbing fist fulls of his shirt and pressing herself closer to him.

"I've missed you," he told her, placing a kiss on the top of her coconut smelling hair and taking in two of his favorite things, sunshine and gunpowder.

"I've missed you too," she told him honestly and with no hesitation. She let a soft laugh escape her lips as she tried to pull back slightly only to have him hold her tighter, "Hey, I just need to tell you something, I'm not going to disappear."

_Maybe not now_, he thought as he pulled back slightly to let his ocean blue eyes meet her two-toned eyes only to have his mind go blank as she placed a kiss onto his lips – soft and gentle, but full of love and getting the point across. "So uh," he started to say, coughing slightly to clear his throat before saying with a grin, "that's what you had to tell me?"

"Well I figured I just had to borrow your form of communication to tell you I'm real, especially since your eyes looked at me as if you were dreaming still," was her cheeky reply.

"As if I didn't get that from the punch," he shot back with a grin, "plus dream-Kensi doesn't even come close to real-Kensi."

"Deeks, who was at the..." Sam started to say but stopped short when he noticed the woman in his arms. **"KENSI?!"**

"Hey Sam," the brunette answered, still wrapped in her partner's arms.

"Deeks?" Sam asked as he approached them with a smile, seeing the male look at him he simply said, "Step back, I want to hug her now."

"Only if you promise to give her back," Deeks told him half-seriously, half-jokingly but stepped back nonetheless and laughed when Kensi was wrapped in strong arms and picked up off the floor causing her to let out that snort-laugh that he oh-so-adored.

"Did someone say She-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named's name?" Callen joked coming out into the foyer to see what all the commotion was about only to stop short at the sight of the woman in front of him, **"KENSI?!"**

"Hiya Callen," the federal agent replied before she was once again picked up as other footsteps could be heard approaching their little group of four fast.

"Did you guys say..." Eric started off only to have Nell start to squeal and jump up and down before running and pouncing on her best friend.

"Kensi, Kensi, Kensi, Kensi," the little pixie said as she hugged her best friend tightly, the taller woman doing the same thing.

"Hey Nell."

"Nell, let go," Eric told the anayalist with slight laugh, "I want a hug too."

"Come here," Kensi said as she let Nell go to pull the computer wiz into her arms before she found herself back in Deeks' arms.

"Hey Sweetheart," Julia greeted her daughter, pulling her into her arms and placing a kiss on her cheek, "I'm glad everything worked out for you to be here today."

"Me too," Kensi told her mom with a grin that grew wider when Deeks' arm wrapped around her waist.

"So does this mean you forgive Henrietta, Marie?" Gibbs asked as he walked into the foyer.

"Uncle Gibbs!" Kensi squealed as she flew into the arms of her god-father, who was an ever present figure in her life, never replacing just simply stepping in as a father figure once her dad passed away.

"Welcome home, Marie," Gibbs told her hugging the young woman tight knowing that he promised Donald if anything happened to him, his best friend and her god-father would always look out for _their_ Baby Girl.

"How was the flight?" Jenny asked her niece-in-law and pulling her in for a hug.

"Bumpy but worth it," Kensi told her and feeling two arms wrap around her waist, "definitely worth it. Happy Thanksgiving everyone and surprise!"

"So what's Hetty got to do with this?" Callen asked 'his little sister' with a raised eyebrow, arms crossed over his chest.

"All you need to know right now, is that I wouldn't be here without Hetty," Kensi told him and turing to Gibbs she answered with a soft, "I don't know, maybe. We'll see."

"And that's understandable," her uncle told her with a smile.

"Come on everyone let's go eat before everything gets cold," Julia told the group.

"Music to my ears," Kensi told her mom with a grin causing everyone to laugh.

"Somethings never change," Deeks stated causing more laughter.

"And sometimes is does," Kensi said turning in his arms and smiling up at her partner.

"And it's worth it," he softly added before placing a kiss on her forehead. Taking her hand and lacing their fingers together, they walked side by side into the dining room the rest of the group either in front of them or behind them.

"**AUNT KENSI!"** Kensi heard before she had time to brace herself from three pouncing kids, glad that Deeks had fast reflexes and quickly moved behind her to hold her tight.

"Hiya little ones," Kensi greeted the three youngest Hanna's, placing a soft kiss on the top of their foreheads before bending down to place a kiss on a very excited canine's nose. "Hiya Monty."

"He's missed you," Deeks told her with a grin as she stood back up, giving Monty on last rub behind his ears.

"And I him," Kensi replied with a smile as Deeks pulled out her chair for her, "Thank you."

"No problem," he replied, taking his seat beside her and then taking her hand and lacing their fingers together, resting them on her leg causing them both to smile brightly.

"Everything looks wonderful, Mom and Aunt Jen," Kensi told the older women.

"Thank you," Julia replied.

"We also made your favorite dessert and we've got your favorite wine too," Jenny replied as she walked back in front the kitchen holding up a bottle of Sutter Home Gewurztraminer wine.

"Oh gosh I can just see a small bulge I'm going to be having after dinner and dessert," the operative replied with a smile causing everyone to laugh, "but I am not complaining."

"When have you ever complained about food?" Deeks smirked at her and grunted when she took her free hand and punched his arm.

"God, do you have any idea how much G and I have missed the sight of you slugging him?" Sam asked the female causing everyone to laugh as the woman smirked and her partner to roll his eyes.

"Alright before we eat, we've got to say grace and then go around the table and say what we are thankful for," Julia told the group, sitting at the head of the table.

"Well I think since Tony tried to grab the food first, he should say grace," Ziva told the older woman smirking at her boyfriend's glare.

"But..."

"Nope, that's the rule," Kensi said, "whoever reaches for the food first before we've said grace, get's to say grace."

"Rule 61, DiNozzo," Gibbs told the man, head slapping him on the back of the head.

"Right boss, sorry boss," Tony said, "Well everyone grab hands."

"You heard the man," Julia told the group, grabbing onto her daughter's spare hand and then taking Jenny's other hand in hers.

"Dear Lord, we thank you for the food we are about to eat. We thank you for keeping our loved ones safe and sound. We also ask you to look over the families of those serving over seas and pray for their safe return until they all come home. We thank you for everyone being able to safely travel here and to guide those who do travel to travel safely. And most importantly we thank you for bringing Kensi home for Thanksgiving. Amen."

"Amen," the group chorused.

"I'm shocked Tony, I think that's the most I've heard you say seriously in, well for the first time in almost ever," McGee told his team mate.

"Ha-ha-Ha, McGoo," Tony replied with a glare, "For that you can say what you're most thankful for first."

"That doesn't bother me," McGee told him with a smirk, "I'm most thankful for a few different things, one of the many things though is Ziva coming back home and keeping you in line. I'm also thankful for this table full of family and that we'll all safe and sound to see and enjoy another day of life. Abby?"

"Ziva coming back home a month after Tony left her in Israel, you all being reinstated, Ziva rejoining NCIS and our girl nights, for everyone here and most importantly for my Caf-Pow," the forensic scientist replied. "Ducky?"

"Ziva coming home, our fighting men and woman, everyone's good health, family and friends," Ducky thanked from the other head of the table.

"I'm thankful for my beautiful wife and baby-on-the-way, for my surrogate family and friends, and learning everything I can from Doctor Mallard that I can," Jimmy added.

"I'm thankful for my wonderful husband and the little one in my belly, my family and friend's good health, and the extended family I've got around this table," Breena said with a smile.

"I'm thankful for my beyond wonderful children although they drive me insane most of the times, my Superman of a husband, for my husband's other wife who thankfully takes him off my hands when needed," Michelle said, "and knowing that what almost everyone around this table does, keeps my children that much safer at night, even if it does throw my husband into the line of fire most of the time."

"I'm also thankful for Michelle and I's wonderful kids, my beautiful and tough as nails wife, our team and everything we accomplish, little sister being home, and for my partner/brother," Sam told the group.

"I'm thankful for our team, and not just having this family around the table but also a family in Michelle, Sam, Grace, Alexander's and Matthew's family," G said, "that Kensi is back safe and sound, even if it might just be for the holiday. And I am also thankful that we're all here to still fight off the bad guys, always keeping the scale well balanced between good vs evil."

"You just sounded like Hetty, man," Deeks said from his spot beside Callen, "Let's see, I'm thankful for a lot of things: my health and good looks, wonderful job, home and dog as well as this crazy surrogate family, the waves on the California coast line, but the thing, the _person_, I'm most thankful for is the person who means everything to me. Kens, you're more than just a partner or my best friend, but your my North Star, guiding me straight home when things get too dark to figure things out. I'm _so_ grateful that you're home safe and sound, no matter how much time you have here before going back. Welcome home, Fern."

"Thanks Max," she replied, kissing his cheek, "I'm not good with words, but you should all know that I'm thankful for everything that everyone's said, but without a shadow of a doubt, I'm glad I'm home for Thanksgiving and that I get to spend it with the," her eyes drifted and locked with another pair, "people I love and who mean everything to me."

"It goes without saying that much like everyone else I'm thankful for everyone's good health and good fortune, but none of that dares to compare to having Kensi home safe and sound, if even for today," Julia said, "I love you, Sweetheart and I hope you know that."

"I know, Momma, I know," Kensi replied, "I love you too."

"Jenny?" Julia asked her sister.

"I'm thankful for my family and friends, everyone's good health and fortune. That the jobs that everyone but a select few at this table do what they do to keep this place the land of the free because they're not afraid to sacrifice their lives for what matters – much like our men and woman over seas who are on the front lines tonight."

"I'm thankful for everyone at this table, all of the families we've been able to give closer to," Gibbs started, "being blessed with a beautiful wife who happens to be my best friend. I'm grateful that Ziver came back and that Kensi's also back safe and sound."

"A toast to family, friends, safe returns, and to the home of the free because of the brave," Julia said raising her wine glass.

***DENSI*IS*ENDGAME***

"Deeks?" Kensi asked softly as they stood in the center of her room at her mom's house.

"Yeah Kens?" He asked softly watching her change into a pair of midnight blue jeans, a lose fitting green tank top, and a grey cardigan from Hollister Co.

"Please say it," she requested softly as she stood up from the bed after slipping on her grey, sweater UGGs from UGG Australia, her pant legs tucked into them.

"Come 'mere Fern," he told her with a smile, opening his arms.

"God I've missed that name," she truthfully told him as she placed her arms around his waist and propped her chin up on his chest to look up at him. "I've missed _you_."

"It goes without saying Kensi, that I've missed you too," Deeks told her, bringing up a hand to caress her cheek, rubbing his thumb across it, "so much."

The woman smiled at him before standing on her tiptoes to kiss him, feeling his smirk through the kiss because she knew that he knew without heels on her feet, she was two inches shorter than him. Pulling back slightly, she glared at him, "if you don't wipe off the smirk right now and kiss me, I'm gonna punch you."

He just simply smiled at her and cupped both her cheeks with his hands, bringing her lips up to meet his in a passionate kiss filled with every kind of emotion there is.

"Come on Lovebirds we've got to get going in ten minutes," Ziva's voice came through the closed door.

"Deeks and Kensi sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G, first comes – **OW**!" Tony's voice came through the door also.

"I didn't hit you that hard DiNizzo, stop being a baby," Gibbs' voice could be heard, "get downstairs and give them their space."

"Now Boss if that was Ziva and I then you'd – **OW**!"

"March DiNizzo before I give you something to really ow about when you go brain damaged," Gibbs stern voice told his Senior Field Agent.

"I think he already is," Ziva quipped as they heard a noise, making them assume that Tony was being dragged back downstairs by his girlfriend/partner.

"Ten minutes, Blye, Deeks, and then we've go to go," LeRoy told the two after he quickly knocked on the door and opened it to poke his head through, finding them wrapped in each other's arms and laughing at his agents' antics.

"Sure thing, Gibbs," Deeks replied.

"Be right down," Kensi replied with a smile, gently extracting herself from her boyfriend to quickly fix her make up, hair, and to put her dog tags back on as well as her bracelet and ring.

"I've never seen them before," Deeks stated.

"What?" She asked confused as she walked towards the closet for a jacket.

"The ring and dog tags," he told her, "a gift?"

"Acutally, yes they were," she replied looking for one specific jacket, "the ring is a gift from Hetty and it's say's Believe, she wanted me to keep my faith that I would be back one day, and the dog tags are actually my dad's, Granger gave them to me."

"Granger gave them to you?" He asked confused.

"Long story, that I will explain very soon," she replied slipping into a black leather jacket that was a little too big on her.

"Now that I do recognize, I was wondering where that went," Deeks told her with a smirk, "I had my suspensions and now my suspensions are confirmed. What's the number count of the things you've stolen or as you like to say 'borrowed' from me now, Fern? Four, six, nine?"

"Four," she stuck her tongue out at him as she put a few things into her black leather Michael Kors tote that was a birthday gift from her mother.

"And they all look better on you," he told her honestly.

"Yes they do," she shot back with a cheeky grin, kissing his cheek as she shuffled past him, leaving him laughing behind her.

"So the lovebirds are finally here," Tony stated making their presence known as they came down the stairs laughing, "are we ready to finally go?"

"Someone's excited for the movie," Kensi teased as she stopped at the last step and did a small jump off of it, landing on the floor causing Deeks to laugh louder at her childish antics, knowing it's all because she was glad to be safe and sound with the people who loved her the most in the world, "but I don't blame you've I've been super psyched about it. Ever since seeing the first one and having read the books, I've been begging this one," pointing to the laughing detective, "to take me."

"Like I told you before you left, I owe you a movie and ice-cream," the blonde said, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and kissing the top of her head before moving to get his own jacket and car keys.

"And bowling," she reminded him.

"And bowling," he promised her.

"So how are we doing this?" Callen asked the group.

"This?" Jimmy asked confused.

"Whose riding with who," Callen clarified.

"Easy, I'm with Deeks," Kensi told the group with a grin as she added, "_alone_."

"I don't know G, don't you think you should ride along with them to chaperone?" Sam smirked at his partner.

"Maybe," G agreed with his own smirk.

"And maybe, I'll just decide to do this with every stop sign and red light we hit," Kensi told them before placing a lingering kiss or two on her partner's lips.

"Hint noted, hint taken," Callen told her, "I'll go in my car and whoever wants to ride with me can."

"We'd like too," Breena stated for her and Jimmy, now out of her dress and into a pair of jeans and a long-sleeve shirt with boots and her outwear, much like the rest of the women were dressed in now too.

"I'd like to ride with you, Jenny, and Julia if that's alright Jethro?" Ducky asked his long-time friend.

"Of course you can," Jenny told the oldest man.

"Nell and I are riding together, would you guys like to go with us?" Eric asked Abby and McGee.

"Sure," they both replied and soon they all were headed outside and to the cars so they could meet Sam and Michelle at the theater, after they had left earlier to take the kids to Michelle's parent's house for dessert. 

**DENSI*IS*ENDGAME**

"Hey Kens?" Marty asked as he stopped at a red light.

"Hm?" She asked, still looking out the window at the passing city.

"How are you?"

"I'm f-" she started to say but seeing his look she let out a sigh and brought the hand that was laced with hers and resting on her knee, up to her lips to place a soft kiss, "I'm adjusting? I don't know if that's the right word or even the right thing right now, but it's all I've got."

"And I'll take that," Deeks told her as he began to drive again, "you know you can talk to me about anything right?"

"Mhm," she replied looking out the window again.

"Kensi, I know that I shouldn't bring this up now, but it's been bugging me and you've been so mum about it," Deeks sighed, "but when do you have to report back to Granger?"

"I," she started taking a deep breath and releasing it in a shaky breathe, "I have no idea, I find out on Saturday afternoon."

"So you're here to Saturday afternoon at least?" He asked hopeful.

"Mhm," she replied, "it all depends on if things go in the right direction these next few days."

"Meaning?" He asked her but got no answer out of her for she was lost in her thoughts and prayers that everything would work out.

* * *

**MOVIE THEATER – 5PM**

**LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA **

"So are we all seeing _The Hunger Games: Catching Fire_, or are some of us going to see a different movie?" Deeks asked the group when they entered the cinema.

"We're heading to _Catching Fire_," Kensi told her boyfriend pointedly.

"I know babe, I know," he told her and inwardly smiled at her slight shake and the swoon look in her eyes as he used that term of endearment, _mental note added_ he thought.

"We're going to it too," Ziva told them waving her hand in front of the group beside her of herself, Tony, Abby, McGee, Jimmy and Breena, Nell and Eric.

"Sam? Callen? Michelle?" Kensi asked the other three.

"_Hunger Games_," the married couples agreed.

"I guess we're all heading for that movie then," Jenny said with a smile, "so why don't us girls go find us seats and you boys pick up our drinks, candy, and popcorn."

"Jen we just had dinner," Gibbs told her.

"No movie is good without popcorn Jethro, you know this," Jenny told her husband with a glare before following the females up a ramp and towards the right to screen one, the biggest in the theater of ten screens to find seats.

"Do you guys want to sit in groups, or what?" Abby asked them as they all found seats up front, Kensi saving the two directly in the middle for her and Deeks.

"Either one works for me," Julia replied, taking a seat on the opposite side of her daughter that wasn't reserved for who she hoped to officially call son-in-law one day.

"Let's sit as a group, makes things easier at the end of the movie to find everyone," Nell told the group taking the seat directly behind Kensi.

"Here you go, Fern," Deeks' voice startled them five minutes later, handing Kensi her movie favorites, a bag of Willy Wonka Sprees', Willy Wonka Sweet-tarts, Sour Gummy Worms, and a large Mountain Dew with no ice, the same as his as well as the large popcorn with extra butter and salt.

"Thank you," Kensi replied with a grin as she took all the candy to hold, even his Nestle Crunches, Snow Caps, and Sprees, as well as taking his drink of Mt. Dew with ice, and setting it in his cup holder so he could sit down without dropping anything.

"You're very welcome," he replied with a smile as Kensi opened the box of Snow Caps and poured them into their popcorn. Taking the bag, he held it close and quickly shook it, mixing the chocolate bites, salt, butter, and popcorn all up so when they went to grab some they got a healthy amount of both chocolate and popcorn.

"You guys do know that's disgusting right?" McGee said as he sat down beside Abby handing her her Reese Pieces, small popcorn, and large Pepsi.

"Maybe to you it is, but not to us," Kensi told him, sticking her tongue out at him before throwing a handful of chocolate and popcorn into her mouth.

"I thought it was pretty gross at first too but then this one dared me to try it and well, I love it just as much as she does," Deeks told the IT-graduate before popping a handful of the chocolate and popcorn into his mouth.

"They even have our kids doing it," Michelle told McGee as Sam took his seat between her and Callen, who was on the other side of Julia so it was Deeks, Kensi, Julia, Callen, Sam, and Michelle in the front row with everyone else in the next two rows behind them.

While everyone ideally past time before the previews the the movie began, Deeks and Kensi couldn't help but get lost in their own little world as they kept locking eyes and tossing smiles at the other.

"God I've missed you," he whispered in her ear, placing a kiss on her temple as he pulled back but let his arm curl around her shoulders.

"So you've said," she told him with a smile. Moving up the arm rest between them and after setting her drink on the floor, she moved closer to him and curled into his side, smiling when his arm went from her shoulders to curl around her waist to pull her tighter, "and you know I've said I missed you too."

"Mhm," he replied with a smile as he nuzzled his nose into her dark waves, closing his eyes and taking in the feeling and the smell of having her in his arms again.

"I want one Nell," Kensi told the pixie without opening her eyes, knowing by the barely subdued squeal that Nell had stood up and moved to stand in front of them, trying to sneak a picture of the cuddling couple.

"I want one too," Deeks replied, he too not opening his eyes, but letting his grin shine.

"How do you guys do that?" Nell asked them, "I thought I was all quiet about it!"

"We're trained investigators," Deeks told her with a chuckle.

"Plus we heard you try to cover up your squeal," Kensi told the woman, popping one eye open to wink at her as the lights began to dim, signaling the start of the movie.

"Are you guys even going to watch the movie?" G asked them, noticing their eyes still closed as the messages to turn cellphone's off came on the screen.

"Yep," Deeks replied, eyes still not open.

"Once the previews end," Kensi added, her eyes still closed too.

"They're already doing it G," Sam told his partner.

"Finishing each other's thoughts," Callen agreed with a nod, "kind of scary if you ask me."

"You mean like you two just did," Michelle pointed out with a smirk causing everyone who heard the three's discussion burst out into laughter.

**DENSI*IS*ENDGAME**

_"What's it say that Peeta was here forty-five minutes ago begging to save your life, and you only just now show up?" Haymitch asked the young lady who sat across from him._

"_It means we have to save him," Katniss replied. _

"_You could live a hundred lifetimes and never deserve that boy," her mentor told her. _

"They left your favorite Haymitch line from the book in it," Deeks whispered in her ear, "Are you happy, Fern?"

"Yes because not only is it one of the best, if not the best line in _Catching Fire_, but it just wouldn't really be...right to leave that line out, you know?"

"Mhm," he told her with a smile, placing a kiss on the top of her head as the both continued to watch the movie.

Not even ten minutes later, Deeks heard his girlfriend as well as several other of the women in their group and around the theater let out low whistles as a half naked, blonde male appeared on screen.

"_I haven't dealt in anything as common as money in years," Finnick Odair told woman. _

"_Well then how do people pay for the pleasure of your company?" The woman retorted. _

_The Capitol heartthrob stepped closer to the young woman and spoke softly, "In secrets. What about you Girl on Fire? Any secrets worth my time?"_

"_I'm an open book, everybody seems to know my secrets before I know them myself," Katniss replied._

"_Unfortunately I think that's true," Finnick replied._

"And unfortunately for me, you're not hear to share my secrets with, which I would definitely share for the pleasure of your company," Kensi sighed catching the blonde surfer's surprise and then glare at her and then at the screen until the blonde on screen disappeared causing Kensi to try and stifle the laughter in her throat and the smirk playing on her lips.

"I was just thinking the same thing," Nell, who was sitting behind them leaned forward to whisper into Kensi's spare ear causing a glare from her own boyfriend causing both girls to let out quiet giggles and a shared wink.

And not even five minutes later, Kensi found herself glaring and sharing the same sympathies as Katniss as a woman stepped into the elevator with Haymitch, Katiniss, and Peeta only to ask Peeta to unzip her dress and then undressing herself in front of the two males and female.

"_Thanks let's do it again sometime," the woman winked and then walked out of the elevator still as naked as the day she was born._

_As the doors closed, the oldest District Twelve winner in their group, said with a smile, "Thank you." Seeing Katniss's mixed emotional face and Peeta's stunned face he said, "Johanna Mason, District Seven."_

"I would have..." she heard her boyfriend start only to let out a small grunt as she punched him in the thigh.

"Finish that thought, I dare you," Kensi glared at the blonde causing him to chuckle at her.

"Kens," he started softly.

"Deeks," she replied her glare still in place only to soften when he leaned down to place a kiss on her scrunched up forehead.

"Green-eyed monster, Kens?" He asked her with a small smirk.

"Yes, very much so," she replied before turning her attention back to the big screen as her head returned to his shoulder, and no matter how many times he had done it throughout the night, she still smiled widely as she felt a kiss placed on the crown of her head before his head rested back on the top of hers.

"I couldn't see you in something like that," Deeks whispered in her ear.

"What? In a wedding dress?" She whispered back, her head still not moving.

"In a wedding dress, I can see you in just not a fluffy one," he admitted to her.

"I don't know," she admitted, "I mean I love that dress, it's beautiful but you're right. It's too fluffy at the end although it if was simpler I might just like having a little poof at the end of the gown."

Deeks wasn't the only one shocked by Kensi's admittance on a wedding dress, but so was Callen who had accidentally caught the conversation as he went to grab a drink of his Dr. Pepper. Leaning over with a smirk, he whispered in his partner's ear, "Kensi and Deeks are talking about wedding dresses."

"Seriously?" Sam whispered back, eyes wide.

"Bible," he replied with their new thing with a smirk and a slight chuckle as did Sam.

"You don't think..." Sam asked his partner.

"Possibly, maybe, one day," Callen replied with a smile and a shrug of his shoulders.

"The only one that would know for sure is them," Sam reasoned.

"And Hetty," Callen added, half-seriously and half-jokingly.

"And Hetty," Sam agreed as shocked gasps were heard as Peeta announced Katniss was pregnant.

"You know I betch'a she was a ninja in another life just like you," Deeks whispered in Kensi's ear as they watched Katniss climb high into a tree and shot an arrow off. He was shocked when he heard her giggle much like anyone else that heard it and knew that Kensi wasn't one to let a girlish trait like that slip out, at least in the presence of company with the exception of Deeks and Julia.

"Ohmygosh," Kensi let out in a startled breath after having jumped as did other's when Peeta's head turned back from Katniss only to have a ravage monkey howl in his face.

"You okay?" She heard her partner asked with a concerned smile.

"Yep, fine, just fine," she replied, "just a little startled."

"I think almost everyone was," Deeks replied as they watched Katniss, Peeta, and Finnick being chased by the rabid creatures.

"_She sacrificed herself for me and I didn't even know her name," Peeta told his tribute partner._

"_You think she sacrificed herself?" Katniss asked him, confused._

"_Looked like it."_

"_That doesn't make any sense," the Girl on Fire replied as they continued to watch the hovercraft pick up the dead body from the water with a giant claw. _

"It does if you know the bigger picture," Kensi whispered under her breath causing Marty to smile, both knowing what was happening because they like surprisingly most in their group read the books either before or after seeing the first _Hunger Games_ movie.

"Shh Fern I'm trying to watch it," Deeks playfully 'sh-ed' her causing her to roll her eyes with a smile on her face that grew bigger when she watched Katniss and Peeta share their beach moment kiss.

Fifteen minutes later from the beach moment, the group found themselves stretching and some groaning as their bones popped or as their muscles stretched.

"That was soooooo awesome," Deeks stated as he helped Kensi pull on her jacket.

"It kicked ass," Kensi agreed, "although I wish they didn't leave it like that."

"Same here," Nell agreed, "especially since I'm Team Peeta."

"Me too," Kensi agreed with a smile as she laced her fingers with Deeks and together they followed the crowd out up the aisle and out into the main theater hall, waiting for the rest of their group to join them.

Deeks smiled and leaned back against the wall, letting some of his shock show when Kensi moved to let go of his hand only to press her back into his chest and wrap his arms around her waist to rest on her belly, where she laced all their fingers together as her head leaned back on his shoulder with her eyes closed and a peaceful smile on her face.

Smiling, Deeks placed a kiss on her temple and winked at Nell who had gotten caught taking a picture of their moment as he asked his girlfriend, "Tired?"

"Mhm," she mumbled, "You have no idea how hard it's been to sleep since I've been away."

"I think I have a pretty good idea," he told her causing her to open one eye and smile at him.

"Aren't you two just the cutest," Julia said when she spotted her daughter and the man she already though of as her son-in-law, alerting the rest of the group to the cuddling couple. Pulling out her iPhone, she put it on camera mode and pointed at the couple with a, "Say _Hunger Games_."

"_Hunger Games_," the two replied, still wrapped up in each other but both having their heads facing the camera with matching smiles across their faces with a clear look of love in both of their eyes.

"Can you send it to me, Momma?" Kensi asked Julia as she unwrapped herself from her partner.

"Sure thing," Julia replied.

"Thanks," Kensi said before looking at her boyfriend and telling him she'd be right back before walking a little ways down the hall and into the women's restroom soon followed by the rest of the women in their group while some of the men also went into the men's restroom.

**DENSI*IS*ENDGAME**

"Whoa!" Eric said as the group all stepped out of the theater to see the parking lot packed for both the theater and the Wal-Mart and shopping strip that next to the theater.

"This place was almost empty, at least parking wise, when we got here and now there's no parking available it looks like," Nell stated as they all looked around the cars and watched as people hurriedly walked towards Wal-Mart.

"Grey Thursday," Jenny pointed out.

"Speaking of," Julia said with a smile, "does anyone want to start now or wait until later when it is actually Friday?"

"Friday," some of the group that were planning on going out on Black Friday replied before they all found their ways to their cars with promises to meet up to do some shopping tomorrow.

"So," was the only word Marty spoke as he stood in between his girlfriend and the car.

"So," she replied back.

"Kens, I..."

"Deeks?" She interrupted him.

"Yeah?"

"I just want to be at your place, right now, with you," she told him causing them both to smile at the words that had changed everything that one night so many nights ago.

"Well alright then," Deeks replied before opening the passenger door for her.

"Thank you," she replied, placing a kiss on his cheek before slipping into the seat and pulling the seat belt on.

During the ride to Deeks' apartment, he listened as Kensi sang along to the Christmas station on the radio, joining in during certain parts or on certain songs, but remaining quiet the rest of the way, just enjoying her voice and her hand in his as they rested on her jean clad knee.

Arriving at the apartment a half-hour later, they quickly got out of the car and headed towards the stairs that would take them up to his apartment and beloved mutt, who Sam and Michelle had kindly dropped off when they were taking the kids to Michelle's parents house.

"Hey boy!" Kensi exclaimed as she pounced on by a ball of fur as soon as she stepped through the threshold. Laughing she bent down only to be pushed backwards by an excited Monty who quickly made quick work of making her laugh as he kissed her all over.

"Alright enough of that, Monty. Let Mommy up," Deeks told his beloved animal, snapping his fingers and pointing his finger making the mutt quickly obey his master, moving off their favorite female to sit beside his master as he helped the brunette up. "You okay?"

"Mhm," she replied and then raising and eyebrow and with a smirk she said, "Mommy, huh?"

"Mommy," Deeks stated with a wide grin and a nod.

"I like it," she admitted softly as she took off her jacket and hung it and her purse on his coat rack before slipping her UGGs off also.

"We do too," Deeks told her for himself and Monty, moving to place a stray curl behind her ear. Cupping her cheek he lightly pulled her face towards him and gave her a sweet kiss, leaving much to be desired as he pulled back with one last peck to her lips, "I'm going take the rascal out real quick, why don't you go get ready for bed?"

"Is everything..." she started to ask, unsure.

"Right where I showed you," he told her softly as he grabbed Monty's leash and hooked him up before leaving the apartment to Kensi and her own devices.

The tall woman smiled and padded across the living room and into the kitchen. Walking over to the fridge, she pulled out two bottles of FIJI water for them before closing the door and turning on her sock clad feet to head down the hall and into her boyfriend's room. _God it felt good to call him that, my boyfriend_, Kensi thought as she flicked on the lights and taking in the sight as the memory of their one, passionate filled night came flooding back to her:

_Lips on lips feeling the inside of a rose, palm to palm and nose to nose. Body pressed against body, tingling and sweet sensations all over. A bubble of their own world filled with love and passion, of promises that weren't ready to be spoken because they meant more showed. _

With a smile, she gently ran her fingertips over the cool, cotton blue sheets and white, cotton comforter of the bed as she walked over to the dresser and smiled at the contents sitting on top of it. On the left side sat a picture of them on their first Christmas together aboard on a Navy ship, a rare moment of them both blushing after being caught underneath the mistletoe and just like them they played it off by Deeks leaning in to kiss her with a smirk only to have her hand on his cheek turning his head away from her, their laughs both caught in freeze frame. On the right was another picture of them, or well originally it was of the whole team on one of their rare nights when Hetty would join them for dinner and drinks, but it was cropped and enlarged perfectly to frame their smiling faces. In the picture, they were both caught in an heated eye-lock with matching smiles on their faces as they talked, and unbeknownst to them at the time, their arms had wrapped around each other, their foreheads resting on each others.

Laughing she remembered that the next day they were being called out and teased by the team, having been asked if something was going on between the two best friends, only for Deeks and herself to laugh it off and poorly blame it on the alcohol that was running through their systems as well as the stares they were each receiving from the opposite sex since the moment they had walked in that night. Her laughing suddenly stopped as she took notice of what was sitting between the two pictures – her father's knife, the same knife she had given to her partner to protect himself with. The same knife that to her meant and symbolized _so_ much more than what she had told him it was for and meant.

Smiling she fingered the knife case carefully before taking the shirt that sat in front of it and turned back around to face the bed where she quickly stripped out of her socks, jeans, sweater, and tank top. Quickly unfastening her bra and leaving herself only clad in pair of black lace panties, she quickly took the LAPD shirt that she had wore the first morning they woke up together after that life-changing night. Lifting the shirt up to her nose, she closed her eyes and smiled taking in the scent of uniquely Deeks with a little of her mixed into it.

After a quick wash of her face to rid her makeup, running a brush through her hair, and brushing her teeth, she slipped into the right side of the bed and turned on her side to face Deeks side of the bed as she waited patiently for his return that came ten minutes later.

"Sshh, Mommy's sleeping," Deeks told his beloved mutt as he peered into his bedroom to find his beautiful girlfriend curled on her side, a hand touching the left side of the bed where he was to lay. Smiling he quickly went through the apartment and locked the doors and windows and set the alarm before getting ready for bed himself.

Leaning against the en-suite bathroom doorway, he watched her sleep as his made quick work of brushing his teeth before rinsing his mouth and shutting off the light. Gently, he took her arm and moved it so he could slide under it before laying on his back and taking her hand and lacing their fingers together to rest over his heart.

"Mm," she mumbled, "Marty?"

His heart skipped at beat at the sound of her using his first name, and smiled before answering her, "It'd better be me."

"Always," she mumbled back before moving to curl herself into his side. Throwing one of her legs over his hip, she kept their fingers laced as she moved them from his heart to center of his chest so she could replace their hands with her head, listening to his heart beat and lure her into a peaceful and restful sleep for the first time in a long time.

Smiling at the honesty she always seemed to reveal when sleepy, he placed a kiss on the top of her head and wrapped his spare arm round her waist, pulling her tightly to him. Taking comfort in the feeling and scent of the only woman he ever really loved, he too drifted off to a peaceful and restful sleep, the first in a long time and hopefully not the last, knowing that if he had anything to say about it, she wouldn't be leaving his side for a very long, _long_ time.

**To Be Continued...**

* * *

_**Well, here's the second one. I hope you all like it and weren't too made because of the "Catching Fire" spoilers (:  
Happy Holidays,**_

_**Jess LA, xo**_

**The snow glows white on the mountain tonight,  
Not a footprint to be seen  
A kingdom of isolation and it looks like I'm the queen  
The wind is howling like the swirling storm inside  
Couldn't keep it in, heaven knows I tried.**

_~ "Let It Go" from Disney's "Frozen" by either Demi Lovato or Idina Menzel_


	3. Gifts

**Author's Note:** Sooo, I seriously considered just making this a two shot, but this idea wouldn't leave my head making it hard for me to even consider doing college work, or work tomorrow, so here's another chapter. I hope you guys enjoy it.

* * *

**=A Reason To Be Thankful=**

**-Chapter Three: Gifts-**

That long time came to short for the couple who found themselves waking up four and half hours later, ready to do some Black Friday shopping, the official start of the shopping season for the biggest up-and-coming holiday there was, Christmas.

"Are you sure you want to go? You can stay here and sleep," Kensi asked him as they still lay curled up in bed despite the fact that they had to get up and get dressed to meet back at Julia's house at midnight to figure out how everyone was going to do their Black Friday shopping if they wanted to stay in a group.

"Honestly Kensi," Deeks told her cupping her cheek and bringing her face up to look at his, "I just don't want to be parted with you just yet."

"I'm glad you said that because I was really hoping you were serious about going with us," Kensi told him before admitting softly, "I don't think I can be parted from you right now either, not knowing what tomorrow afternoon might bring."

"Hey, hey," he said, seeing the glassy look in her eyes, "Saturday is still a whole day away, let's just live in denial for right now, okay? We're gonna just pretend that we're a boy and a girl hanging out, we're young and most importantly we have all the time in the world. Okay?"

"Okay," she replied with a soft smile.

"Okay," he repeated with a smile before letting his lips meet hers in a soft kiss full of promise that soon turned hot and passionate. Pulling back with a groan, he said, "I really, really, _really_ want to finish where that kiss was leading but we both know we're due at your mother's soon for some chaotic shopping."

"Urgh, why did we agree to that again?" Kensi asked him as they kept their positions in bed even though they both knew they had to get up.

"Because Mom and Aunt Jen can be downright scary sometimes," he replied with a slight shudder.

"Mom and Aunt Jen, huh?" She asked his with a raised eyebrow and a small smirk.

"I, uh, well um..." he started before trying to divert it by glancing at the alarm clock and then sliding out of bed, "Oh look at that! We have only fifteen minutes to get to your mom's by midnight."

"Uh huh," she told him with a smirk and a laugh as he busied himself pulling out a pair of light wash jeans, a light blue v-neck polo and a pair of socks.

"What? We do," he told her as he stepped into his jeans.

"Oh I know," she told him as she slipped out of bed to stand behind him. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she then placed a kiss between his shoulder blades where his medium sized phoenix tattoo sat with the chinese symbol for warrior intricately placed in the yellow, orange, red, and black bird before swatting his boxer clad butt as she walked towards the bathroom, "We will talk about it later."

"Talk about what?" He asked her as he sat on the bed to pull on his white socks.

"Nuh-uh," her voice came through the bathroom door that was open just a crack, "you can't pull that on me Detective Deeks."

"It's, uh, actually Agent Deeks now," Deeks told her as he pulled his dark brown belt through his belt loops.

"What?" She asked asked, coming back into the bedroom stunned.

"It's a long and meaningful story that will need more time than we don't have now," he told her as he pulled on his polo.

"We will talk about this," Kensi told him with a pointed look as she grabbed her jeans for last night and pulled them up her long, tanned and toned legs.

"Amongst the other two talks we have to have right?" He asked her with a smirk as he sat back down on the bed to pull on a pair of CONVERSE sneakers.

"Yes," she replied with a smile as she walked to his closet and pulled on one of his white, wife-beaters and tucked it into her jeans before talking another shirt off the hanger and pulling it on.

"You know that's the one you got me for Christmas last year, but it looks so much better on you," he told her with a smile as he watched her button up the black and white plaid, long-sleeve shirt.

"I disagree, and I know I'm going to regret saying this already, but it looks way better on you," Kensi told him with a seductive, yet honest smile.

"Why thank you," he replied with a wink.

"But you know," she told him with an inward smirk as she walked towards him with an extra swing in her hips. Biting her bottom lip and staring up into his ocean blue eyes, she said in a low and seductive voice, "It'd look _so_ much better _on the floor_ with the rest of _our_ clothes."

"Don't tease me," he told her with a groan as he watched her walk out of the room, following behind her shutting off the lights as he went.

"I wasn't, I was just stating a fact," she told him with a fake shrug of her shoulders and an innocent tone in her voice as she pulled on her UGGs and grabbed her purse down from the coat rack.

"Sure you were," he replied watching her pull out a brush and quickly running it through her hair before leaving it down.

"Whatever," was her only response as she grabbed her travel size, VS Fantasies Coconut Passion fragrance mist from Victoria's Secret and quickly sprayed a few spritz on herself before putting the cap back on and the bottle back in the purse.

Deeks smirked as he finished filling up Monty's water and food dishes as his girlfriend finished putting on her deodorant and tossing it back into her tote before grabbing her jacket from the rack. "There you go boy," he told Monty, scratching him behind the ears with a smile.

"Hey do you have a pair of sunglasses I can borrow in case it gets too sunny later today?" Kensi asked him even though she knew that they shouldn't be out shopping for that long.

"Yep, already in the car" he told her as he walked over to her to put on his brown leather jacket and then his keys and wallet. "Ready?"

"Speaking of the car, what are you doing driving my car?" She asked him with a smirk.

"I can explain that," he told her quickly.

"And you will very soon," she promised him before asking him as she couldn't find her cell in her tote, "Do you have our cells?"

"Yep, pants pocket," he told her with a smirk and laughed when she had no shame in taking her hand and slipping it into the right back pocket, thinking that she actually never had shame in touching his ass.

"Oops, got your phone," she said as she retrieved her hand from his pocket with a cell phone, but not before copping a feel with a smirk.

"Oops, indeed," he teased her and smirked through his chuckle as he felt her reach into his other back pocket and repeating the process, this time pulling out another Windows Phone 8X by HTC this one black instead of the dark blue one she pulled out.

"Got it," she replied with a wink before connecting their lips in a soft kiss and then pulling back and opening the front door with a smile, "and got that too."

"You can 'get that' any time you want," he told her with a smirk.

"Come on lover boy," she told him with a roll of her eyes.

* * *

**JULIA'S HOUSE – 12AM**

**LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA**

"You guys are late," Julia told them with her hands on her jean clad hips and a playful glare on her face.

"Sorry Momma," Kensi told the older brunette, "we were tired."

"It's no problem, Sweetie, I understand you might be jet lagged," Julia told her daughter giving her a smile that only widened when she noticed her daughter didn't let go of her boyfriend's hand as they hugged each other.

"Hi Julia," Deeks greeted the mother with a smile, not letting Kensi's hand go as he hugged his girlfriend's mom.

"Marty how many times do I have to tell that blonde head of yours to call me Mom?" Julia told him with a playful glare.

"Plenty of times," Sam's voice came from inside the house.

"Yeah, it takes a while before words can find their way through his fluffy hair and into his ears and brain," Callen made his presence known also along with the rest of the massive group.

"Har har," was Marty's only reply as his girlfriend laughed along with their co-workers.

"Alright, alright, enough of picking on Marty, it's time to get down to business," Jenny said her hands on her hips and a serious expression on her face.

"Jenny's right," Julia agreed, "we need to figure out if we want to go in groups, pairs, or what and if we're all going to go to the same location, or different locations but still meet up somewhere's."

**DENSI*IS*ENDGAME**

Fifteen minutes later, Deeks was sliding into the driver's seat as his girlfriend slide into the passenger seat after everyone decided to just go in the groups that they went to the movies in last night.

"Where are we going to first again?" Kensi asked her partner as she turned up the heat in the car to get warmed up from the surprisingly cold Californian night.

"The Beverly Center," Deeks said with a slight cringe, knowing that during Black Friday LAPD was always on high alert and made their presence known in that area as well as in several other popular shopping districts. "But our first stop will be Starbucks."

"Yes please," was Kensi's only reply as she turned on the XM radio and smiled as she put it onto a Christmas station causing her boyfriend to laugh.

"I'm glad that's one thing we have in common," he told her his spare hand coming to lace his fingers with her hand and rest them on her knee, referring to listening to Christmas music and it not even being December yet.

"Mhm," she sounded her reply as she propped her head up on her spare hand and stared out the window at the dark, passing surroundings, taking notice that some houses were already well under there way to being full of holiday spirit on the outside of them.

Twenty minutes later, Deeks and Kensi found themselves along with their groups cars, in the long drive-thru line at Starbucks all wanting an extra kick in the form of a hot beverage as they started out what was to be an extremely exhausting day.

When it was their turn, Marty didn't even have to ask his partner what she wanted, for he already knew the answer, "Hi, yes. I'll have on venti, white chocolate hot chocolate with whole milk, extra whipped cream and chocolate with peppermint sprinkles. I'll also have another venti, white chocolate hot chocolate with whole milk, whipped cream and peppermint sprinkles. Finally, we'll also have one Chocolate Chip Cookie, one Chocolate Chunk Cookie, one Old-Fashioned Glazed Doughnut, and two plain bagels with extra cream cheese for both, please."

"Whole Milk?" Kensi asked her boyfriend with a raised eyebrow as she handed him her portion of the total.

"Soy Milk is admittedly not good in hot chocolate, especially white chocolate hot chocolate," he told her as he glared at the money she was trying to hand him after he pulled up to the next window and handed the first drive-thru barista his debit card.

"It sounds gross too," Kensi told him after she poked her tongue out for a second causing them both to laugh as he pulled the Cadillac up to the next window to receive their orders.

"God I've missed this," he stated as he grabbed the Starbucks bags.

"What? Starbucks?" She asked him confused as she took the bag from him so he could grab their drinks.

"No," Marty replied handing her her drink after checking the label, "us, laughing together."

"Me too," Kensi replied after making sure their whole order was their and giving him a nod to continue on before popping the tab covering the hole to the hot beverage to take a quick sip of the steaming liquid. "God that is so yummy."

"Mhm," he replied as he watched the hectic traffic before quickly pulling out into the left heading traffic.

"Choco-Chunk mine?" She asked him with playful smile as she pulled the cookie out.

"After you eat your bagel," he told her pointedly, "we need to have at least something healthy in our stomaches if we're going to survive today."

"But chocolate gives you energy," the federal agent playfully pouted although she was already taking the plastic knife and already spreading the cream cheese onto the bagels, making sure they both have had an excessive amount on each slice, just like they liked it.

"That is why I got you extra chocolate in your drink," he told her with a wink although they both knew that was only half the truth, the other half being that she just liked extra chocolate in her drink.

"Mm," she said as she leaned towards him as he pulled up to a red light and when their lips were a breath apart she whispered before her lips met his, "let me thank you for that."

"You are very welcome," he told her pulling away slightly before leaning back in for another kiss that was quickly broken when a horn sounded behind them, startling them.

"What the..." Kensi asked and noticing the light that was still red wondered why someone would honk their horn.

"It's Sam," Deeks told her with a pointed look as he pointed his thumb over his shoulder after having seen Sam and Michelle's car behind theirs with a laughing Sam in the driver's seat and an amused wife, who Kensi saw wink at her when she turned around before slapping her husband repeatedly in the arm until he stopped. "You know he's never going to let us live it down."

"And he's going to tell everyone else if they didn't already see it," Kensi added with a nod but shrugging her shoulders she quickly leaned over and placed a kiss on his cheek and said, "Who cares."

"Whoa! Who are you and what have you done with Bad Ass Blye who would care about them seeing us k-i-s-s-i-n-g?" He asked her with a stunned look on his face and tone in his voice.

"Another long story," she told him, "just know that Bad Ass Blye is still here just letting new changes happen."

"Good to know," he told her, "and you know we will talk about our long stories soon right?"

"Right and I will be all for it," she told him and seeing his raised eyebrow, she tightened her hold on his hand and brought it to her lips to place a gentle kiss on it, "I'm serious we will and I will be an active and willing participant of our long stories because after all it's a love story, right?"

"How'd you..." he trailed off before something hit him and as he pulled up to a red light as he waited to turn right, he gave her a shocked and slightly scared look, "Wait did I..."

"Yes," she replied with a smirk, trying (and failing) to hold back her real and bright smile and the look in her eyes.

"Oh God," he groaned, "you weren't supposed to hear that!"

"Is it a bad thing that I did?" She asked him generally confused as he pulled into the massive paring lot for the Beverly Center.

"I...I honestly don't know, Kens," came his truth reply as he quickly found a spot and was surprised that there was enough spots for the other cars in their group to park either next to, across from, or near them. "Is it a bad thing that you heard it?"

"No because it gave me the push I needed to finally be able to do something about whatever's happening between us," she told him as she unbuckled her seatbelt to turn to face him as he shut off the car.

"Is that why you were so willing to go back to my place with me that night?" He asked her as his thumb unconsciously began caressing the top of her hand.

"Yes," was her honest reply and before either of them could say more they were startled once again, but this time by someone coming up to the passenger side window and knocking loudly on it causing them to jump a little, not that they would admit it.

"I guess we should get out, huh?" Marty asked her with a soft smile, not making a move to get out of his seat.

"Or we could make a run for it and go back to your place?" She suggested with a wink.

"Don't tease," he warned her for the second time that day before placing a soft kiss on her forehead and then stepping out of the car and locking it as soon as she was out also.

"Are sure you lovebirds are here to shop, or what?" Sam asked them with a smirk, "Ow, Michelle! Kensi!"

"Like your one to talk buddy," Michelle told her husband with a smirk as she high-fived Kensi.

Sam just rolled his eyes as everyone in their group laughed before they all made their way to the already bustling with excitement mall.

* * *

**BEVERLY CENTER**

**BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA**

"Mom do you want to come with Deeks and I?" Kensi asked her mother, who her spare arm was looped through.

"Sure but just until I'm ready to shop for you and Marty," Julia told him and invited her sister and her brother-in-law to join them as well as Ducky who all happily agreed.

"Mom you don't have to get us anything," Marty told his girlfriend's mom as they all waved goodbye to the rest of their group with promises to text every half-hour like the group promised, to make sure everyone was okay.

"Oh don't you two start with that," Julia told them and seeing them get ready to protest again, she stopped walking and crossed her arms over her chest with a glare, "Or I will use Gibbs' technique and slap you on the back of your heads."

"Yes, Ma'am," they both mumbled.

"That's better," Julia replied happily with a smile as she replaced her arm through her sister's and daughter's arms.

"So where to first?" Deeks asked the group.

"Bed, Bath and Beyond," Kensi replied with a bright smile and a twinkle in her eye.

"Do I even want to know why you want to go there first?" He asked her with a smile and a raised eyebrow.

"I've had this perfect gift idea for Hetty in my head that she won't be able to regift," Kensi told him matter-of-factly so proud of her idea.

"So you have forgave her?" Gibbs asked his god-daughter with a slight smile.

"I still don't know, I have to talk with her first," Kensi replied, "but I think a part of me, a _small_ part of me, has."

"That only makes one of us," Deeks mumbled on his breath but he knew his girlfriend heard it when she squeezed his hand with a soft, understanding smile flashed in his direction as they entered the store that was already loaded with hectic shoppers.

"Where to?" Julia asked her daughter.

"Picture frames," Kensi told her mom with a smile before she dragged her boyfriend by his hand towards the aisle they could be found in. Once in the aisle, she found exactly what she was looking for a black, Berkeley 6-Opening Picture Frame.

"That's beautiful," Julia told her daughter before she and Jenny both picked up the same one but in different colors along with some other picture frames.

"I figured I can have Eric and Nell go through old team outings and find me pictures of each of us with Hetty because I know there is at least one of us each alone with Hetty at some point in time in our team outings where we're all smiling, and have them print them out. Then I can take the pictures and place them in the frame so it's something that she can have and definitely won't be able to gift back to one of us."

"That's actually pretty smart, babe," Marty told her with a proud smile.

"I know," she replied cheekily causing him to roll his ocean blues.

"Alright smart-ass, do you have to go anywhere's else in here?" He asked her.

"Well I am smart and I do have an ass, so I guess I would be a smart ass," was her quip back at him, still wearing her cheeky smile and causing everyone to laugh, Deeks included, "and, hm, let me think..."

"Well don't think too hard," her boyfriend shot back only to make a face and rub his arm, "Ow."

Kensi just smirked at him as she walked past him and made a left turn, disappearing from his sight as they adults all laughed at the younger adults.

"Can I say it? I want to say it," Deeks told Julia, Ducky, Jenny, and Gibbs.

"Say what?" Jenny asked him.

"Thank God she's home," he stated with a wide smile.

"Even if you're her punching bag?" Gibbs asked him with a smirk.

"Even if I'm her punching bag," he replied matter-of-factly, "I'd stand there all day and let her give me dead arms as long as she never had to leave again."

"Marty don't think like that," Julia told him, placing a hand on his arm, "we don't know if she's leaving yet or not."

"Yeah, so we just need to enjoy it why it lasts," Jenny helped reassure him.

"**When the evening shadows and the stars appear  
And there is no one there to dry your tears  
I could hold you for a million years**

**To make you feel my love**

**I know you haven't made your mind up yet**

**But I would never do you wrong**

**I've known if from the moment that we met  
No doubt in my mind where you belong"**

"Kensi's texting, why is she texting me?" Deeks wondered out loud and then laughed at the confusing he text he received from his girlfriend:

*lamb, tug-of-war, baby dragon, monkey, beaver, pig or gator? ~KB*

"Marie wondering where her punching bag is?" Gibbs asked him with a smirk.

"Nope, just confusing me," he told them before reading off the text to them causing them to become confused too.

*What are you talking about Princess? -D*  
*Mommy's got to get a toy for her baby boy at home doesn't she? ~KB*  
*Something you need to tell me, Kens? -D*  
*Monty, Deeks, Monty. Geez! ~KB*

*Oh! Uh, what's the cutest? -D*

*I don't know. That's the problem :( ~KB*

"I'll be right back, I need to go save Kensi," Deeks told the group with a laugh before heading to find his girlfriend. He laughed as soon as he found her with the chosen toys in front of her and her arms crossed at her chest as she bit her lip before pouting.

Hearing her boyfriend's familiar joyful laughter, she turned to him with her hands on her hips and her pout still on her lips, "I can't decide. Help!"

"Alright, alright," he told her with a chuckle and putting his hands in his back pockets he slaughtered over to her, "show me the chosen candidates."

**DENSI*IS*ENDGAME**

Seven toys later and discussions later, the couple went to find the quickest and shortest line to stand in, glad that it didn't take them long to check out and meet with Julia, Ducky, Jenny, and Gibbs outside of the department store, each having their own bags.

"Where'd you to go off too?" Julia asked them curiously as they began walking again.

"I had to help Mommy over here chose a toy our baby," Deeks told the woman he already thought of as a mother as he took the bag from his girlfriend and carried it without her even asking him too.

"What'd you get that adorable fur-ball?" The mother asked the two as she watched the blonde slip his arm around her daughter's waist and pull her into his side while she did the same to him.

"We couldn't really chose so we, uh, kind of got him one of each toy that I was debating about," Kensi replied sheepishly and the four older adults laughed at the matching expressions of the 'parents' faces.

"No wonder Sam calls him spoiled," Julia commented.

"He's not spoiled," Kensi responded with a playful glare.

"Just loved," Deeks finished her thought.

"Yeah," Kensi agreed poking her tongue out and causing them to laugh as they headed towards one of the many escalators.

Smiling, Deeks let Kensi onto the escalator first and then quickly stepped on the next step, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her back towards him, being careful that she didn't fall of the step. From the step above them, Julia turned around with her iPhone and quickly snapped a picture of the two just as they met each other in a soft kiss causing them both to pull back with slight blushes and smiles.

"I want one of those," Kensi told her mom.

"Of course," Julia told her daughter, opening up a text message and attaching the photo to it before adding on a long list of contacts to receive the text, making sure her daughter and (hopefully) future son-in-law got the picture too. Underneath the picture she smiled as she taped out:

*At times we may love the wrong person, and cry over the wrong person, but one things is for sure. Mistakes help us find the right person, you just have to open your eyes, and most importantly our heart to look ~ Unknown –Julia*

"Aw Momma that quote's adorable," Kensi told her mom once she felt her cell phone vibrate in her pants pocket.

"I thought so too, especially with that picture," Julia told her daughter as they stepped off the moving, metal stairs and headed towards Macy's.

"You guys want a water or anything?" Deeks asked them as he stirred Kensi towards a soda/water/juice vendor stand.

"A water please, Marty," Julia told him and watched as he didn't even ask Kensi what she wanted, or if she wanted to share as he picked up Julia's water and then a bottle of Mt. Dew and paid for them before moving to let Gibbs get drinks for the other three adults.

"Here you go," he told the older brunette, handing her the bottle of Aquafina water and then taking a drink of the Mt. Dew after he was offered it by her daughter. "Thank you."

"Mhm," Kensi replied taking another quick sip of the yellow liquid before recapping the bottle and lacing her fingers with his offered hand.

"To Macy's now?" Jenny asked the group.

"Definitely," Kensi replied and as they approached the red star store, she turned to her mom and said, "This is where I'm parting from you guys for a little bit, I have some presents to get."

"Alright, well call us when you're done and we'll all meet up here at the front of the store or at the benches over there," LeRoy told her with a smile.

"Sure thing," Marty replied before he was being dragged by his smiling girlfriend.

"Do you have to get anything here?" Kensi asked him as she walked them towards what she was looking for.

"Sure do," he told her as they approached the fragrance booth, "so you had the same idea that I did for your mom and Aunt Jen huh?"

"If its there favorite fragrances then yes," she replied as she picked up the biggest bottle of Elizabeth Arden's Red Door perfume.

"So how about you get her Red Door since you've already got it and I'll get Mom her White Diamonds," he suggested as he picked up the biggest bottle of Elizabeth Taylor's White Diamonds, "and I'll get Aunt Jen her Red Door and you can get her Burberry."

"Sounds good," she told him before she started to search for something else once she picked up the box of Burberry to add on top of the box of Red Door she hand in her hands.

"What'cha looking for?" He asked her, following her as she walked around to the other fragrances for women.

"Found it!" She exclaimed with a bright smile as she picked up a gift set of Taylor Swift's Wonderstruck Enchanted.

"Oh is that like what you got in the purple bottle?" He asked her, "I love that smell, or I did when it was still on my blankets and pillows."

"It is like her Wonderstruck just with a different twist to it," she replied with a smile and placing a kiss on his cheek and then winking at him she told him, "I'll make sure to do something about my smell on the blankets and pillows."

"Good," he replied with a wink causing her to laugh.

"Have you tried her Taylor one miss?" The Fragrance Sales Associate asked Kensi from behind the booth.

"No I haven't," Kensi replied to the woman, who's name-tag read 'Bailey'.

"Well may I suggest that you do?" Bailey asked her with a smile as she took a bottle and sprayed it on a strip of white paper, "here you go. I just love it."

"Mm," Kensi said as she took a whiff of it and let her boyfriend smell it, "that does smell good. I'll have to add it onto my Christmas list for Santa."

"Hint spotted and noted," he told his girlfriend with a smile, placing a kiss on her temple.

"Do you guys have any of Nicki Minja's, Sarah Jessica Parker's, Chanel's, or any new Juicy Couture fragrances? Oh, and any Yves Saint Laurent?" Kensi asked the woman.

"Sure do," Bailey replied with a smile, "we have a little bit of all of them, but I will have to check and see if Juicy came out with any new ones."

Laughing at his girlfriend who at times like these she let her tough girl act slip to show a more, soft and feminine side, he quickly pulled out his smartphone and opened up a next text message:

*Can you meet me at the fragrance stand? I need your help! -D*  
*Sure on my way:) - Julia*  
*Thanks(: -D*

"You're welcome," Julia said out lout as she approached the surfer with a smile and a shopping cart in her hands. "So what can I help you with?"

"If I give you a gift that I want to get Kens, can you keep it with you until I'm ready to check out, or if you check out before me just let me know the price later, and I'll pay you back," Deeks told her as he picked up the boxed gift set of Taylor by Taylor Swift.

"No need to pay me back," she told him as he handed it over to her, "I'll text you and let you know if I check out before you, alright?"

"Alright, thanks Mom," Deeks replied before placing a kiss on her cheek with a smile and letting Julia quickly slip away before his girlfriend could spot her.

"Hey Deeks?" He heard his girlfriend call out.

"Yeah babe?" He asked her as he approached her with their shopping cart.

"What do you think of this?" She asked him as she handed him a smelling strip.

"It smells good, what is it?" He asked her.

"Calvin Kline Dark Obsession for men," Kensi replied with a smile.

"So there's one 'for female'?" He asked her with a smirk.

With a roll of her eyes, she replied, "No, just one called 'Obsession'."

"So you could be my Obsession and I can be your Dark Obsession?" He asked her with a smirk.

"Don't be an idiot," Kensi replied although she couldn't keep the serious and annoyed look on her face before her laughter slipped out causing them both to double over in laughter.

"Seriously though," Deeks told her once their laughing settled down, "watch that Little Ninja know about this conversation and then get them for us for Christmas."

"She likes regifting though, so I hardly think she will," Kensi pointed out.

"And when she does get them for us, I'm going to be the mature one and not tell you I told you so," he told his girlfriend with a cheeky grin causing her to roll her eyes before she came to a sudden stop and then pivoted on her heel to turn towards a wide section of display cases. "Kens what is it?"

"Jewelry," she pointed out as she looked at and pointed out various pieces to the Holiday Commission Fine Jewelry Associate, who would take them out of the display cases.

"For?" He asked her.

"Gifts for people," she replied pointing out the final one she wanted to look at.

"Let me guess," Deeks said as he looked at a black Betsey Johnson bracelet, "for Abby?"

"That one is," she said referring to the black-plated cross multi-charm toggle bracelet. "The other Betsey Johnson bracelets, yeah those ones with the gold-tone and crystal gens, are for Aunt Jen and Ziva. The Kate Spade bangle, the one with the mini-bow, is for Nell, and finally," she said before showing him a box that was already out and displayed in a red box with a white bow, "are for Mom and I figured they could be from both of us."

"They're beautiful, Kens," Marty told her as he looked at the earrings.

"That they are," the sales associate said, "they're by B. Brilliant in a classic and never out of style, round-cut pave cubic zirconias, which is about 2 ¾ in carat weights."

"We'll take them," Kensi said before snapping the box shut and putting it in their cart with a smile.

"What about the other pieces ma'am?" The Macy's employee asked.

"Those too," she replied with a smile as her eyes caught on to something, drawing her attention.

"It's beautiful Kens," Deeks whispered in her ear with a smile as he came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist as she looked at a beautiful yet simple necklace. Pulling away from her ear, he looked at the sales associate and said with a wink, "but I think it'd look more beautiful on you."

"Deeks," Kensi warned as she watched the employee unlock the case and pull out the object of her stare.

"Here you go sir," the lady told him with a smile, handing him the necklace.

"Thank you," he replied as he moved Kensi's hair to the side and placed the necklace around her neck, fastening it so it stayed.

"The heart shaped pendant as you can see has a beautiful combination of black and white diamond accents, about 1/10th in carat weight and it's set in sterling silver. If you notice, the little heart only has the black diamonds while the larger heart that loops through the smaller one, has the white diamonds, giving it that radiant yet romantic feel," the green eyed girl told them.

"We'll take it," Deeks told the lady, "do you have any matching pieces?"

"Unfortunately I do not," the jewelry seller said, "but I do have some pieces that could be paired perfectly with the ladies necklace and other pieces of jewelry."

"No, we'll just take another pair of the round stud earrings that the lady picked up for her mom," the federal agent told the lady watching as she picked up another box of those earrings and gave them to him.

"Would you like the next wrapped up, or would the lady prefer to wear it from the store?" the sales associate asked.

"I don't know," the blonde said, "Kens?"

"Put it in a box please," Kensi told the lady handing her the necklace and while the associate was doing that she turned towards her boyfriend with teary eyes although she was trying to put on a scolding face, "Deeks, you don't..."

"Kensi, your my girlfriend so yes I can," he told her, "I want too, Kensi, because you deserve the world."

"Marty," Kensi sighed and not being able to finish her thought, or find the right words she stood up on her tippy-toes and passionately kissed him.

Fifteen minutes later, she found herself sitting on a bench and waiting for her boyfriend who was helping her mom with something still in the store.

"Hiya Kensi!" she heard as she checked her messages from her answering machine at home.

"Hiya Nell, Abby!" Kensi looked up and greeted the two high-IQ ladies as she hung up her phone, "Uh where's your men?"

"Bathroom," they both replied at the same time causing them all to laugh.

"Where's your cutie at?" Abby asked the brunette with a wink, her and Nell laughing as they watched the woman who was sitting blush, looking down at her feet to try to hide it.

"Helping my mom, Aunt Jen, Ducky and Uncle Gibbs with check out in Macy's," Kensi asked them, "have you guys been in there yet? They are having some amazing deals!"

"Nope," Abby replied as she sat down to the left of her.

"But that's where we're planning to go once the boys get back," Nell added as she sat on the other side of Kensi and taking note of her Macy's bags, "did you have fun in Macy's?"

"Speaking of Macy's I need to tell you something!" Kensi told them excitingly.

"What?!" They asked with equal excitement.

"Later when I have more time," Kensi told them when she spotted the rest of her group approach them.

"Alright," Nell replied giving her a pointed look, "but you will tell us later."

"Yeah!" Abby agreed pointing a playful finger at the brunette with a serious look.

"Of course I will," Kensi promised them and smiled as Deeks bent down to take their bags.

"Hello girls, how's it going?" He asked them with a wink causing Nell and Abby to smirk and Kensi to just roll her eyes.

"Turn off the charm, you're not impressing anyone," Kensi told him as she uncapped their soda to take a drink of it.

"It impressed the sales clerk at check out just five minutes ago," he quipped back.

"Keep it up Marty Deeks, keep it up," she glared at him as she stood up.

"Or what?" He challenged her as the on lookers looked on amused, not knowing the Nell was videoing them.

"Or I'll sleep at my house tonight," she shot back at him as she walked away, smirking at her boyfriend's stunned look.

"Wait, babe! I'm sorry," he said as he followed her and getting no reply from her he continued, "Wifey? Light of my life? Sugar Bear? Princess?"

"Oh...my...gosh," Jenny said in between bouts of laughter that she shared along with her husband, sister, and oldest and dear friend.

"Those...two..." Julia said with a shake of her head as she continued to hold onto Ducky as he held on to her, both trying to keep each other upright as Jenny and Gibbs did the same thing.

**DENSI*IS*ENDGAME**

A couple of stores and more bags later, Deeks found himself laughing at as Kensi's eyes lit up like a kid in a candy store.

"You are so cute," he told her, "truly a kid in a candy store."

"Well we are in a candy store," she told him with a small glare and 'duh' expression on her face.

"Come on Ms. Godiva Chocolatier, let's find you some chocolate while we Christmas shop," the federal agent told his partner, wrapping his arm around her waist and leading her further into the store, "just remember I don't want to go broke in here."

"I have my own money, you know."

"But what kind of partner/boyfriend would I be if I let you buy your own?" he retorted as they found the aisle they were looking at to get small boxes of the Holiday Assorted Chocolates for the people on their lists.

"You know I could punch you for that comment," she told him with a soft smile and a raised eyebrow as she wrapped her arms around his waist and propped her chin up on his chest to look up at him.

"I know," he replied as his arms instinctively slipped around her slim waist and pulled her closer before leaning down to place a kiss on her forehead.

Hearing someone cough behind them, they turned to see a female employee who quickly tried to look Deeks up and down before she plastered on a fake smile and said, "Welcome to Godiva Chocolatier, would you like to try a piece of our Holiday Truffle Bar?"

"Princess?" Marty asked his girlfriend, who he could tell was trying hard to not glare at the employee for checking him out.

"Sure," she replied still a little bit tense.

Deeks just gently smiled at her and took a couple of pieces from the employee with that same smile as he watched his girlfriend try and fail to keep the glare off her face that was quickly wiped away when he turned towards her. Smiling brighter, he moved to stand in front of his girlfriend this time and unwrapped the Godiva Peppermint Filling in White Chocolate Bar and broke off a small piece. Holding up the piece, Marty watched as she smiled brightly with a twinkle in her eyes at the sweet gesture that was also used to show the employee he wasn't interested, and let him feed her the piece of Belgium chocolate.

"Thank you," Kensi replied standing up on her tiptoes to place a sweet kiss on his lips before taking the rest of the mini-bar they were given and returning the favor by feeding it to him.

"Mm," he hummed savoring the flavoring of the treat before swallowing, "we should get some, and maybe one for everyone else?"

"Mhm," she replied kissing his cheek sweetly before she stepped around him and let a smirk set on her face as she approached the employee and gently reached around her and picked up some of the bars.

**DENSI*IS*ENDGAME**

"Hey guys!" Nell greeted Marty and Kensi when she saw them entering Love Culture as she and Eric were leaving it.

"Hey Nell, Eric!" They greeted together with smiles.

"You went to Godiva?!" the analyst excitingly asked the couple spotting the bags in their bag mix.

"Yep," Kensi replied with a bright smile as she reached into the Godiva bag she was holding and pulled out two bars of chocolate, "these are for you guys."

"We tried some and loved them and since they were on a deal, we got some more for us and then one for everyone else," Deeks told them, "we've already seen Sam, Michelle, and Callen and gave them theirs. We're meeting up with Mom, Aunt Jen, Gibbs and Ducky later so, all we needed to do was run into you two, Tony and Ziva, and McGee and Abby."

"I thought Abby and McGee were with you two?" Kensi asked them as the four moved off the side a little to let other shoppers pass.

"They were, but just like you two, I'm assuming they wanted to be alone with their significant other," Nell replied with a smirk.

"Like you're ones to talk," Deeks shot back and with a smirk of his own he turned to his girlfriend and said, "Kens, remind me later to fill you in on the secret rendezvous of Eric and Nell."

"Sure thing," Kensi replied sharing his smirk as she watched their two friends go bright red.

"Yeah, we'll see you guys later," Eric told them and his girlfriend quickly agreed.

"Sure you will," Deeks replied with a smirk as he watched them open and close their mouths like fish before giving up and quickly walking away.

"That was fun," Kensi told him with a smile before she spotted the reason she dragged her boyfriend into the store.

"It sure was," he replied as he watched her approach and look at a party dress that featured a vibrant sequin skirt with a tribal design, a built in camisole with white chiffon overlay and keyhole cut out at the back with a single loop closure. "That's pretty, you should try it on."

"Deeks, I don't think.." she started to protest weakly.

"Kens, go," he told her gently and watched as she smiled brightly and handed him over her bags before finding the dress in her size and heading towards the changing room. Sitting down in one of the chairs, he set their bags down around him and waited for her to come out.

"So what do you think?" She asked him, showing him the dress, "ignore the UGGs though."

"I think it looks fantastic and with the perfect pair of heels, you legs would look even longer than they do now," he told her honestly.

"So you think I should get it?" She asked him.

"No," he told her and seeing her sad look he added with a smile, "not you, me. It's my welcome home gift to you."

"Marty Deeks, you have been buying me, as you call them, welcome home gifts, all day," Kensi scolded him with hands on her hips, "and you need to stop. It's not that I'm not grateful, it's just...it's just too much don't you think?"

"No Kensi I don't."

"Of course you don't," she mumbled before she approached him and wrapped her arms around his waist, "Marty has it ever occurred to you I already got my welcome home gift?"

"Kensi..." he said softly.

"I just need you, Marty Deeks, only you," she told him before leaning up to kiss him passionately.

**DENSI*IS*ENDGAME**

*Hey Mom, where are you?-D*  
*On LVL 7, checking out at Saint Laurent. Why? What's wrong? - Julia*  
*I want to get Kens something Tiffany's & I can't with her near me, unfortunately.  
So will you help? -D*  
*Of course! Where are you two right now? - Julia*  
*Jimmy Choo, getting Kens shoes for dress I bought her. Why? -D*  
*Got a plan. Tell her that I want her to go to Bloomingdale's w/ me. - Julia*  
*Sure thing & thanks! -D*  
*Always, I'm your mom;) - Julia*  
*Unofficially. -D*  
*Mother's intuition tells me not for long ;D – Julia*  
*LOL ;D -D*  
*;) - Julia*  
*She's on her way. -D*  
*Plans a go. Let me know if you need anything else Marty! -Julia*  
*Sure thing, thanks again Mom(: -D*  
*As I said always:) -Julia*

"Hiya Mom!" Kensi said as she approached her mom, "Deeks said you wanted my help at Bloomingdale's?"

"Sure do," Julia told her daughter, looping her arm through her daughter's and asking her because she was curious about Marty's excuse to Kensi, "where'd Marty go?"

"With Sam, Michelle, and Callen getting something for the kids from both of us," Kensi replied with a smile as they entered the store that was proudly playing Christmas music. Listening closely as did her mom, they both turned to each other and said at the same time, "_Christmas in Dixie_ by Alabama."

"I love country Christmas songs," Julia told her daughter.

"As do I, there's just something about them," the daughter agreed with her mother's assesment before asking, "where's Uncle Gibbs, Aunt Jen, and Ducky at?"

"Shopping for us," Julia replied with a smirk.

"We're not here to spy on them are we Momma?" Kensi asked her mom with a questioning eyebrow and smirk.

"Maybe, possibly, could be," Julia replied with a smirk of her own.

"Now, your sounding like Marty," Kensi informed her mom before the two set off on their mission while also doing some shopping of their own.

"_Gold and Green_ by Sugarland," Julia and Kensi said together again when they heard the new song as they looked around at an assortment of cashmere sweaters.

"That's pretty baby," Julia told her daughter who was holding up a purple, peplum sweater.

"Thanks, I think I'm going to spoil myself and get it," Kensi told her mom with a smile.

"Speaking of spoiling, I hear Marty has been buying you 'welcome home' gifts all day," Julia stated with a smile, "that's sweet."

"It is I just wish he'd stop spending unnecessary money on me," was Kensi's reply as they each picked up a couple more sweaters.

"Hey baby?" Julia said getting her daughter's attention as they looked around the sleepwear section with Jenny when they found her, who had a feeling they were sneaking around snooping so made sure Gibbs had all their gifts with him and Ducky as they looked at the tie section on the men's side of the store.

"Yeah Momma?" she asked turning her attention to her mom.

"I've just got you an early Christmas gift," Julia told her with a wink and a sneaky smile.

"Okay?" she replied cautiously, "Do I want to ask?"

"You'll find out when I hand it over to your lovely boyfriend," Julia's answer came with a wide smile and a twinkle in her eyes.

"Mom, please oh please tell me you didn't..." Kensi started with wide eyes as a thought came to her as they walked to check out.

"Oh she did," Jenny said with a smirk and watched with her sister as the younger woman's eyes went wide and her mouth opened and closed like a fish.

"Oh God!" She groaned.

"More like it'll be," Julia started.

"Oh Deeks!" The two older woman finished together with smirks.

"**MOTHER! AUNT JENNY!"** Kensi yelled stunned.

"What'd you guys do to my poor girlfriend?" Deeks asked the group as he watched them approach him, not noticing as he hid the signature Tiffany blue bag.

"This is our early Christmas gift to you too," Julia told the young man, handing him the single Bloomingdale's bag.

"Oh God," Kensi groaned again with closed eyes.

"Uh okay," he asked confused.

"Open it," they told him excitingly as Kensi's eyes popped open wide both getting a kick out of embarrassing the young brunette.

"Is it safe?" He asked them.

"It's not like we got something that will explode in your face," Julia told him with hands on her hips.

"Yeah but I'm referring to myself," Marty informed them, "I mean you guys are here giving Kensi and I an early Christmas gift all the while embarrassing Bad Ass Blye who is hard to embarrass and for all I know what's in this bag could earn me an early grave from said embarrassed woman."

"Just open it," Kensi told him, "I want to see if they were pulling my leg in the store or not."

"Alright, here goes," he said reaching into the bag and pulling out a flat box that would contain a piece of clothing and containing a piece of clothing it did, a piece of navy blue, satin with white lace-trimmed chemise from Elle Macpherson Intimates.

"Okay so it wasn't as bad as I normally thought, but still," Kensi said, "really guys really?"

"Oh yeah," both older women replied before they almost skipped towards and then off with Gibbs and Ducky who were standing off to the size just a laughing at the group.

**DENSI*IS*ENDGAME**

Many stores, bags, and hilarious yet adorable Deeks and Kensi moments later, the group found themselves all together and trying to find somewhere's to catch a snack.

"How about TGI Friday's?" McGee asked the group.

"Is that your idea of a joke McGoo?" DiNozzo asked him with a look.

"So what if it was Tony?" Tim asked him with a look.

"Knock it off," Gibbs told them, slapping them on the back of their heads causing everyone to laugh.

"Sometimes I think he's just finds something to hit us about," Tony told McGee in a low tone and watched him agree before they both rubbed the back of their heads again when slapped.

"Plus they don't have a TGI Friday's here," Abby told them as she and Ziva smirked at their boyfriend's.

"So where to then?" Tony asked the group.

"CPK," Kensi replied, "I've been hungry for pizza since I left and nothing beats CPK."

"I get the frozen pizzas at home, they're truly awesome," McGee stated as they headed towards the restaurant.

"You haven't had California Pizza Kitchen until you've had it fresh," Callen told him with a smile, "we get it every Wednesday when and if we're working late or just hungry and if we have to work on Sundays, we have it then too."

"Hello and welcome to California Pizza Kitchen, my name's Ellie and I'm the hostess, how many in your group, Ma'am?" The woman behind the stand asked with a smile to bright for the past-midnight hour.

"Seventeen," Kensi replied with a smile.

"Alright," she replied after letting her eyes grow a little in size at the shock of their group. "Right this way, ma'am."

"Alright," Kensi said as she and Deeks led their group through the full restaurant into a private dinning area that was the only place to have room for them.

"This is Derek, Jay, Alexis and Erica and they will be tending to you tonight," Ellie told them, "if you need anything else and they can't help or if you have trouble with them just let me or the other host, Jacob, know and we will get right on it and take care of it."

"Hello everyone, I'm Jacob or Jake," the host said walking up to their tables to stand next to Ellie, "I'm just hear to inform you that I just received a message to tell you all to order whatever you like it is on one Ms. Henrietta Lange."

The group all smiled and laughed at the woman with an all-seeing-eye and nodded their heads at Jake and Ellie before the two walked away.

"Hi my name's Derek and I'll be your waiter. Can I get you guys a drink to start off with?" He asked them and let his gaze linger on Kensi who sat between Nell and Deeks, who missed the way the waiter was looking at his girlfriend because he was talking with Eric, Sam, and Callen about something as the females talked amongst themselves.

"Sorry," Eric said as they all stopped talking, "What do you guys have on draft?"

"We have the new Samuel Adams Winter Lager, Bud Light, Miller Light, and Coors Light."

"I'll have a Winter Lager please," Eric told him.

"I'll have one too please," Sam ordered.

"Same here," Callen agreed.

"Why the hell not," Deeks stated, "I'll have one too, but do you have it in a bottle?"

"We do," he said writing it down, "And the beautiful ladies?" Derek asked them looking at each woman but letting his vision linger longer on Kensi.

"I'll have a Appleberry Sangria, please," Nell ordered with a smile.

"I will have a Cosmopolitan please," Michelle ordered.

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Sam asked his wife with a smirk only to lose it as she pinched his side with her own self-satisfactory, smirk.

"And you beautiful?" Derek asked Kensi.

"Do you have any of the Pinnacle Vodka?" She asked him with a smile.

"As a matter of fact we do," he told her with an grin, "we have Whipped, Chocolate Whipped, Cake, Marshmallow, Atomic Hot, Orange, Coconut, and Cookie Dough."

"Hm," she thought, "I'll just start off with a Samuel Adams Winter Lager too please."

"Bottle or draft?"

"Bottle," she replied.

"Alright, do any of you want to order some appetizers before I bring back your drinks?" He asked them, his eyes shooting back to Kensi every so often this time Deeks catching on.

"Yeah an order of Tuscan Hummus and an order of Spinach Artichoke Dip," Callen said ordering the appetizer he, Sam, Michelle, Nell and Eric wanted.

"And we'll just have two cups of your Sedona Tortilla Soup please," Deeks said ordering for himself and Kensi.

"Sure thing, I'll be right back," he said tossing a wink in Kensi's direction which she missed because she had her head turned and talking with Nell.

"I don't like him," Deeks stated when the waiter was out of hearing distance.

"What?" Kensi asked as she turned towards him with a raised eyebrow.

"Nothing," he said causing her to shrug her shoulders and continue her conversation with Nell while the others at the table who had caught his comment all smirked at him.

"Green eyed Marty?" Michelle asked him with a smirk.

"Maybe," he replied, "but did you see the way he was checking Kensi out right in front of us, in front of me?"

"Kensi's a stunning woman Deeks," Callen told him letting his smirk grow when Deeks gaze snapped to his with a glare, "I'm just saying, guys are always gonna look."

"And they're going to try to get with girls like her," Sam added, "Trust me I know. I still have to fight guys off of Michelle."

"Oh whatever!" Michelle told him, "I can defend myself, thank you very much!"

"Babe..." the ex-SEAL started.

"Babe," Michelle playfully mimicked, "Sam Hanna all I have to do is show them the ring and they back off but when they don't that's when I kick their ass, me Sam not you."

"Mich..." he started.

"Unless a guy gets physical," Michelle agreed, reading his mind with a smirk.

"Unless who gets physical?" Kensi asked as the waiter came back with their drinks and appetizers.

"If a guy doesn't get a hint when the female tells the flirting/propositioning male that she's taken, and when that said guy tries to get physical with the girl than the boyfriend or husband can step in and defend her and get physical if he has too" Deeks told his girlfriend, but also shooting the waiter a glare trying to make him get the message.

"Ah I see," Kensi replied and turning her attention to the only married woman at their table she asked with a smirk, "Problems with your other boyfriend's Michelle?"

"Always, Kensi, always," Michelle replied with a smirk and a wink of her own as Sam rolled his eyes and took a long drink of his cold beverage while his partner just laughed.

"Are you ready to order?" Derek made it sound like he was asking the whole table when various members at the table could tell his eyes were just asking Kensi who went to looking back at the menu, looking at the desserts knowing that they all already decided on what they were getting.

"Yes we'll have one large Hawaiian, one medium Roasted Garlic Chicken, and one large The Works pizzas, please" Callen said ordering for the table.

"Anything else?" the waiter asked, his eyes still on Kensi.

"One small Original BBQ Chicken Chopped salad without the avocado and ranch for me," Deeks said his arm around his girlfriend's waist and smirked when she leaned in to his side further as she continued to look at the menu "and one medium Caramelized Peach salad without the spinach, and Gorgonzola for my girlfriend please."

"Sure thing sir," Derek replied with a smirk before walking away.

"Yeah I dare you to smirk one more time," the surfer mumbled.

"What was that babe?" Kensi asked turing her attention towards him.

"Nothing," he told her placing a kiss on her forehead after she laid it on his shoulder as she joined into the various conversations around the table.

"You two are adorable," they heard Julia say from the next table over where she was sitting with Jenny, Ducky and Gibbs while the rest of the Washington team all sat together.

Deeks and Kensi both smiled at Julia and held the smile when she took a picture of them before they continued in their conversations with their friends.

"Hey Kensi!" Kensi heard Tony call from the table in front of them where he was sitting with his girlfriend, McGee, Abby, Jimmy and Breena.

"Be right back," Kensi told her boyfriend and their group before she got up and walked over towards the Washington DC's Special Agent. "What's up Pain in the Ass?"

"See Tony she agrees," Ziva told her boyfriend with a smirk.

"Haha," Tony replied before turning his attention back to Kensi, "I just want to know if you and Zee-vah went to Ninja school together?"

"Really?" Kensi asked him with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.

"What? I know several of us are wondering about it too because you both are bad ass ninja like figures," Tony said defending himself but also giving himself away without realizing it.

"Bad ass and ninja, hm, sounds like you've been conversing with my partner," Kensi said and turned her head towards Deeks who was caught listening to their conversation, "well since you both want to know, you should know that ninjas don't tell you that they're ninjas."

"They also don't tell you when they're about to do this," Ziva added sharing a smirk with Kensi.

"Do what?" He asked, "OW!"

"You deserved it DiNozzo," Gibbs told him with a smirk as he witnessed along with everyone else Tony get socked in the arms from both females who then high-fived each other.

"Gee thanks Boss," Tony replied with a fake smile.

"My pleasure," Gibbs replied before taking a sip of his wine that their table was sharing.

"You want to come with me ZeeZee, Abby?" Kensi asked the ex-Mossad agent and forensics analyst with a smile.

"Where?" They asked.

"Restroom before the food comes," Kensi answered.

"Definitely," the two agreed standing up and joining Kensi as did Nell and Michelle.

"Mom? Aunt Jen?" Kensi asked them.

"No thanks," they both replied to the group of girls.

"Alright," Abby replied as she and Kensi led the way to the restrooms.

Ten minutes later, the girls came back talking quietly amongst themselves as they took their seats right as the food came in behind them.

"You okay Fern?" Deeks asked his quiet partner as she sat down and then watched Kensi finally acknowledge their waiter who was checking her out and to glare at him with the same glare he used to be afraid of.

"I'm fine," she replied and watched as Callen, Sam, and Deeks gave her the looks they always gave her because of that phrase, "I'll tell you all later."

"Mm, I'll hold you to that," he told his girlfriend.

"I know you will," she replied with a smile, "you always do."

"Only because I care," was his reply before his lips were caught in a kiss from his girlfriend.

"Whoa!" Eric said when he saw their passionate kiss.

"What the..." Nell asked Sam, Callen and Michelle seeing their smirks as their waiter continued to set their food down on their table with a glare.

"We'll tell you later," Michelle told the short woman.

"What was that for?" Deeks asked her, "not that I'm complaining."

"Because I love you and I can," she told him.

"I love you too, Princess," he told her placing a kiss on the top of her forehead before letting a shit-eatting grin spread on his face as he turned to the waiter and said, "We'd like to have one of your Caribbean and one of your Appleberry Sangrias please."

"Yes sir," Derek replied in a mono-tone and a glare he tried to hide causing Deeks to smirk more.

"I'll also have another Appleberry Sangria, please," Nell told him.

"Would anyone else like another drink?" He asked them all in a mono-tone.

"I'll take another Cosmo actually, please and thank you," Michelle replied as she held up her empty martini glass.

"I'll be right back with those," he told them walking away.

Five minutes later their drinks returned with a different person bringing them, "Hiya! My name's Alexis, I'll be taking over taken care of your table as will Jay and we'll both be tending to the rest of your group. I just want to say on behalf of the attitudes shown by Derek and Erica they won't be returning to serve you because they are being repremanded right now. So who's are these for?"

"One Appleberry is mine and one his hers," Deeks said pointing to himself and to Nell, "and the Caribbean is hers."

"Here you go ma'am," Alexis said handing Kensi her glass filled with an yellow-orange beverage that was topped with times, lemons, and blueberries.

"Mm, thank you," Kensi replied after taking a drink of it.

"You're very welcome Ms. Blye, and I'd like to pass on my apologies again about Derek he really is something else," Alexis said as she listened as Jay said something similar to Tony, Ziva, McGee, and Abby's table.

"It's fine," Kensi replied with a smile, "Just thank you for making him disappear."

"Of course," Alexis replied before leaning in closer and saying with a wink and a big smile, "Personally I'm glad he's gone."

The whole table laughed along with the waitress who walked over to refill Julia's table's glasses after being asked to get a new beer for Callen, Eric, and Sam.

"Thank God for small miracles," Deeks mumbled.

"Ditto," Kensi agreed overhearing him.

"So your mood earlier had to do with that jackass of a waiter?" Deeks asked her.

"Deeks, I know that look in your eyes, it's okay it's been taken care of so, take a deep breathe and just be thankful for small miracles," Kensi told him seeing the heated look in his eyes for and for a totally different reason than what she was used to seeing in his ocean blues.

"No promises Kens, no promises," Deeks told her as he took a piece of each of the pizzas and put them on his plate before he took a bite of his salad.

"Guys?" Kensi said to Callen and Sam looking for support.

"We're with Deeks on this one, Kens, sorry," Callen agreed in his 'big brother' voice.

"We'll just back him up if that waiter tries anything," Sam agreed before taking a bite of a slice of the Roasted Garlic Chicken pizza they all wanted to try.

"Michelle? Eric, Nell?" Kensi asked looking for support.

"I'm backing the boys up," Michelle told her.

"I have no idea what's going on so I'm going to become Switzerland and go neutral," Eric replied.

"I'm Switzerland with a slight sway towards being on the boys side because that waiter gave me the creeps just a few minutes ago," Nell told her best friend.

Kensi just groaned outwardly but inwardly she smiled and felt beyond grateful for such an amazing family that would do anything to keep her safe and defend her honor when needed, even if she could do it herself.

"Want a bite?" Marty asked his girlfriend, offering his fork with a little bit of his salad on it.

"Mhm," she replied, "want a bite of mine?"

"Mhm," he mimicked her reply and together they fed each other their bites of salads taking note of the several camera clicks and flashes that were heard and saw in the background causing them to laugh.

"You guys lose yourself too easily in each other," Tony's voice told them from the table behind them.

"As if you and David didn't when she came back," Gibbs told his Senior Field Agent and smirked at his and Ziva's blushes causing McGee, Abby, Jimmy, Breena, Ducky and Jenny laugh having witnessed it firsthand back in DC.

"I personally think it's adorable," Julia stated swirling her Clos du Bois Chardonnay from the North Coast in her wine glass, "I can probably fill up the fireplace mantel with all the pictures I've already taken today and probably will end up taking today."

Everyone laughed as they watched the newly reunited couple blush deep shades of red before they all went back to their conversations in food. Fifteen minutes, Jay and Alexis came back to ask the group about dessert.

"We'll take a Salted Caramel Pudding and two things of your Butter Cake à la Häagen-Dazs," Deeks ordered for Kensi and himself.

"What kind of wine would you recommend from the wine flights would be good with them?" Kensi asked Alexis.

"The Toasted Head Cabernet Sauvignon goes amazingly with the Häagen-Dazs ice-cream," Alexis told them, "it contains the pleasant smells of dark cherry fruit, currant, toasty oak and vanilla."

"And the flavors include: dark cherry, blackberry, cassis, smoky clove and sweet vanilla," Jay added as he came to stand by Alexis with a smile, "it's totally worthy to go with our famous Butter cake and definitely with Häagen-Dazs ice-cream, especially if your getting vanilla or chocolate ice-cream on top of the Butter Cake."

"We'll have two flights of it please," Kensi said her stomach all ready rumbling for the cake, vanilla ice-cream and wine combination.

"Hey Kensi?" Sam asked her once they all got their dessert ten minutes later.

"Yes?" Kensi asked around a piece of cake and ice-cream.

"Do you have a black pit for a stomach?" Sam asked her with a smirk.

"More like a tape-worm," Deeks told him.

"Possibly both," Callen agreed.

"That'd make one killer discovery if they dissected your stomach," Eric agreed in wonderment.

**"OW!"**

"Serves you all right," Kensi told them with a smirk as she watched the boys rub their sore spots from where Michelle and Nell had hit the boys, Michelle hitting Sam and Callen and Nell hitting Eric.

DENSI*IS*ENDGAME

**"DEEKS! MARTY! MARTY DEEKS WAIT JUST A MINUTE!"** Kensi shouted after her boyfriend as she chased him to the car as they excited the Beverly Center with the rest of their group trailing behind them. Catching up to him, she gently grabbed his arm and turned him around, pressing his back against the door so he couldn't escape, "Deeks..."

"Look Kensi, let's just not talk about this right now," he told her with a sigh, his face towards the sky and his arms now free of bags, crossed over his chest.

"No, we're going to talk about this now, at least a little bit," she told him, "Deeks, you're upset that I didn't let you knock him out for what he did as we were leaving and I'm not going to apologize for looking out for you and watching your back because I'm you're partner and that's what I do."

"Yes, but you're also my girlfriend and I have every right to knock his ass out," Deeks told her, "Kens he..."

"Marty I know," Kensi told him caressing his cheek, "but I will not have you kicked out of CPK, the Beverly Center, or arrested for assault because of me. I just got you back and I'm not letting you go so soon and especially for a reason like that."

"Kens," he said with a sigh towards the sky knowing that he really couldn't argue with that as much as he wanted too.

"I love you Marty Deeks and nothing will ruin that especially not an inconsiderate, low-level, disgusting pig of an asshole who should be castrated," Kensi told him before connecting her lips with his for a passionate love filled kiss.

_Who are you and what have you done with my closed off, no talking about emotions, sky high walls, Bad Ass Blye_, Deeks thought as he wrapped his arms around his girlfriend's waist and shut off the rest of the world.

**To Be Continued...**

* * *

_**Well, that's another chapter in the wrapping paper ;D I hope you all enjoyed it! Please let me know what you think by hitting the review button!**_

_**Happy Holidays,**_

_**Jess LA, xo**_

**Don't let them in, don't let them see  
Be the good girl you always had to be  
Conceal, don't feel, don't let them know  
Well no they know **

_~ "Let It Go" from Disney's "Frozen" by either Demi Lovato or Idina Menzel_


	4. Let It Go

**Author's Note:** Well, here it is everyone & to tell you something I don't know if this is going to be the last chapter or not, I might do an epilogue but I don't know I guess I will see huh? Especially since I want to do some Densi themed Christmas prompts(:

* * *

***DENSI*IS*ENDGAME***

**=A Reason To Be Thankful=**

**-Chapter Three: Let It Go-**

**DEEKS' APARTMENT – SATURDAY 11AM**

**LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA**

"Mm, I can't believe we slept so long," Deeks heard his girlfriend say as she walked out of his bedroom's bathroom where they had just finished their joint shower after wrapping a towel in her hair and then around her body.

"Me either, but we did have an extremely long day yesterday," he told her as he stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist before following her into the bedroom. "Speaking of, how are you feeling?"

"Feeling?" She asked him confused as she sat on the bed rubbing her Vanilla Lace VS cream on her body.

"As in from the jet lag and then on and off hours of sleeping," he asked her as he slipped on boxers underneath his towel before letting it drop, "Do you want to sleep some more?"

"Nah, I'll be fine," she told him with a smile as she slipped on the black lace panties she bought yesterday at Victoria's Secret. Seeing his pointed look her choice of wording, she smiled at him approached him. Wrapping her arms around his bare torso and pressing her chest up against his bare chest she stood up on her tippy-toes and gave him a soft kiss followed by another.

"Nice distraction," he told her pulling away, his arms wrapped around her waist.

"You caught that did you?" She asked him with a smile before she leaned back in for another kiss.

"Mhm," he mumbled into their kiss as his hands traveled southwards on her body.

"God that food smells so good," Kensi said as her stomach growled.

"That it does," Deeks agreed his own stomach growling as they both quickly pulled out silverware, plates, and cups and setting them on the bar that sat between the living room and kitchen.

"I've so missed iHop since I've been gone," she told him as she unloaded the takeout cartons from the bag while he took their cups and got them a drink.

"I bet," he told her as he sat her orange juice in front of her and took his apple juice and placed it by his plate. Taking her plate after she finished loading half of the Strawberry Vanilla Stuffed French Toasts on it to move the other half onto his, he took the Pick-A-Pancake Combo and gave her one of the fried eggs,one of the golden hash brown patties and one of the Eggnog Pancakes, and of course her share of their extra-large order of extra-crispy bacon.

"So it's Saturday," she stated after a few moments of comfortable silence.

"It is," he replied softly.

"And I know I promised to explain my long story today," she told him with a soft smile.

"Why do I sense a 'but' coming?"

"You don't actually," she told him sticking her tongue out at him before joining in and laughing along with him at her antics, "As I was saying, I know I promised to explain my long story today and I will just once all of our excitement is done, I want to live in happy denial bliss is that okay?"

"It is actually," he told her honestly as he took his spare hand and laced his fingers with those on her spare hand as they continued to eat just like that.

"I love this," Marty told his girlfriend softly as they both sat on his living room floor across from each other as Christmas music played around them from his sound sound and boxes upon boxes upon boxes of Christmas decorations sat around them on the floor.

"What?" She asked although she had a pretty good idea.

"You, me, like this," he told her, "so laid back, comfortable, safe, and domestic like."

"Me too," she told him and then playfully looked at his shirtless chest and licked her lips slightly with a wink, "Definitely like this."

"Behave," he told her with a smirk as he looked at her sitting across from him with her long, dark wavy hair pulled over one shoulder with a black headband with white polka dots holding her bangs back out of her face, an almost navy blue slouchy tank top with the word love in black lace with a heart in place of the 'O', a pair of black cropped leggings, and a pair of navy and white ankle socks on her feet while her watch sat on her left wrist, her mysterious 'believe' ring on her right ring finger, and topping off the outfit he could smell her Vanilla Lace Body Spray and easily spot the studded earrings and the hearts necklace he got for her at Macy's yesterday, both proudly on show. "God your gorgeous."

"No I'm not," she told him self-consciously ducking her head down.

"Kens," he said scooting closer to her and putting his finger underneath her chin to raise it up so their eyes could lock, "Princess, you are gorgeous inside and out. Why don't you believe that?"

"I...I don't know, I just don't or never really had someone that I truly love say it to me and actually mean it even when I'm just in a lounge outfit," Kensi softly replied.

"Well you'll always have me to remind you and I will remind you," he told her, "each," a kiss on her left cheek, "and every," a kiss on her right cheek, "day," a kiss on her right temple, "for the rest of our lives," a kiss on her left temple, "for forever," a kiss on her closed left eyelid, "for an infinity," a kiss on her closed right eyelid, "and beyond," and finally a kiss on her lips as his thumbs brushed away a few stray tears.

"Deeks can I ask you a question without you getting mad at me?" Kensi asked him as they were tightening the eye-bolts on the tree stand that was holding up the real pine tree that they picked up yesterday with their family.

"You can and I bet I already know what it is," he told her with a smile as he held the five and six-inches tree up as Kensi made quick work of the eye-bolts, "you want to know why for a kid who had horrible holidays why I got all out for Christmas right?"

"Yeah," she said softly as she stood up and stepped back to make sure it was still straight when Deeks let it go to make sure it'd stand.

"It's true, I never had the ideal Christmas or any holiday really," he told her softly and honestly, "my dad was always one drink away from killing my mom and I, and my mom was always one bruise away from death..."

"Marty you don't have to," she started to tell him to stop only to have him smile at her and shake his head as he bent down to pick up one of the rolled up strings of white lights to wrap around the tree.

"so I promised myself when I was little that when I grew up I'd have the ideal Christmas I should of have growing up," he continued on as he started to unwind the string of lights around the tree with Kensi's help, "I wanted one that you would see in all those Christmas movies, commercials, ads, just every time I saw a happy family enjoying the Christmas and not having a care in the world. I guess at Christmas time I'm a six-year-old trapped in stud's body."

Kensi took that as her cue to lighten up the mood a little bit by rolling her eyes and laughing at his assessment of himself which he was grateful for. They both laughed as _O Christmas Tree_ began playing throughout the house as they continued to wind the lights around the tree, getting in each other's way half the time but make it worth their wild as they did so always giving the other a kiss or a swift swat on the ass that always got Monty going too.

"So I take it your tree theme is gold, green, and red," Kensi stated as she opened up the boxes of tree ornaments after all of the gold garland was on the tree with the lights.

"Yeah, is that a problem?" He asked her confused.

"No, not at all it's just different, especially since I would have taken you as a blue,white and silver themed person like me because you love the sea, or at least someone who uses multi-colored lights and decorations mixed in with meaningful decorations like my mom's tree is," Kensi replied with a smile as she took a box of ornaments.

"Blue, silver and white huh?" He asked her with a smile, "that's a surprise."

"Not really I always have stuck by my opinion that white, silver, and blue is definitely the most beautiful Christmas combination there is to decorate with although the way my mom does it comes close as does the new decorations that came out in all those shiny and matte, and almost neon colors," she informed him, "do these have to go up in a certain order, or do you have a special way of putting them on in the tree as in what goes in back or in the front?"

"Nope," he replied to both of her questions as he too took a box of ornaments and began decorating along with her, "so how does your mom decorate so I will be prepared for it when we go over later tonight."

"Hopefully," she reminded him about the possibility of her not being here later in the day, or anytime soon with the possibility of going back over to Afghanistan still up in the air. "She goes all out, her theory is too much is never enough, and with the way she decorates with everything in a certain place, or a certain theme it truly is a beautiful sight to see. It really makes you feel like you're living at the North Pole."

"Wow," he replied stun as he picked up another box, "does she just do the real pine tree like we got yesterday, or does she have various trees?"

"Let me think," the brunette said as she walked over to have a sip of her Mountain Dew as Reba McEntire's This is My Prayer For You began to play throughout the apartment. "The real tree goes in the living room and that's where the presents go, six outdoor trees, you know the ones that are white with the white lights already on them, and they go with the deer and other outdoor stuff. We have a fake tree up on upstairs hall landing by the big bay window that over looks the backyard. There's a tree in her office and you know where the corner is, where the stairs and railing meet the hallway wall, well she has a special tree that goes there."

"Wow, and she decorates all of them?" He asked her.

"The outdoor ones no, the real tree is the one that she does like I described earlier, and the tree upstairs is white and is decorated with those shiny multi-color ornaments I was talking about earlier and the tree is just plastered in those and a multi-color light up star tree topper to finish off the look ; it's truly beautiful," she replied, "The tree in her office is done in gold, green, and silver while the tree in the front hallway by the stairs in that corner always, and I mean always ever since I was a little girl, has an United States of America Armed Forces theme."

"Whoa," was his reply as he stopped to get a drink of Mt. Dew too, "so does she do anything else over the top?"

"Oh!" She exclaimed with a smile, "she has this town she sets up every single year and every single year it gets bigger and bigger because almost everyone in the family gets her something for it; I know I always buy her various things for it. Last year I bought her a ferris wheel, bridge, and candy shop set for it that moves and lights up and this year I ordered something specially made for her town too."

"Is that why you picked up that little figurine that had Toys for Tots on it?" He asked her after remembering her picking up a figurine that looked like it belonged to a town set.

"Yep," the brunette replied as she started on the last of four boxes of ornaments, "and it also helps that when I bought that Toy for Tots figurine most of the proceeds go to the Marine's Toys for Tots campaign so it's a win-win."

"You're like a little girl when it comes to Christmas," Deeks told her ten minutes later as they both stood back with a peppermint candy cane in their mouths as they took in the sight of the newly decorated tree both with bright smiles as Kensi sang along and swayed her body along to Darius Rucker's _Candy Cane Christmas_.

"I wasn't always," she told him softly and looking at him with an equally soft smile she said, "but I found out that plans change and people change but the people who really care will never leave you, and they'll help you remember what the holidays are all about."

"Well I aim to please," he told her with a bright smile and a wink.

"I was talking about my mom and the gang," she told him with a smirk before seeing the look in his eyes causing her to squeal and run off.

"Your in for it now you Misfit," he told her as he took off after her as did Monty as the ever classic and ever catchy _We're A Couple of Misfits_ from the classic _Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer_ movie began playing.

A couple of minutes later they found themselves on the floor in the living room, laughing from their clumsiness with Deeks half on top of Kensi, surrounded by garland, lights, ornaments, and decorations while Monty went laid beside them on his back and wiggled around with his tongue hanging out joining in on their fun, only to stop short as an eerie noise echoed in the room.

"I've got to get that," she told Deeks as she gently shoved him off and ran to the bar to pick it up and answer it, "Kensi Blye."

"Who is it?" He mouthed from his spot sitting on the floor rubbing Monty.

"Granger," she mouthed back before walking out the backdoor to lean against the railing out there that separated the small yard from the beach.

"I don't know Monty," Deeks said as he continued to softly stroke his furry companion, "hopefully it's good news if not the holiday just got blown to hell."

Monty whined in reply and put his head down and covered his eyes with his paws in reply to Deeks who quickly leaned over the furry creature to pick up his vibrating phone. Opening up the message, the ex-LAPD Detective read the message from his team leader:

*WARNING just got off the phone with Hetty & Granger.  
Warn Kens that Granger's calling her. - Callen*  
*Already on the phone w/ him. What'd H & G have to say? -D*  
*I'm sorry, Deeks, I can't tell you. - Callen*

*Just tell me this, is she going back to Afghanistan? Please? -D*  
*Deeks I can't. I'm sorry -Callen*  
*I guess I'll have to wait & see what Kens says -D*  
*Just keep your head up Deeks. Good luck, hopefully it's good news -Callen*  
*Yeah -D*  
*Hey man, just remember no matter what you & Kensi can make it.  
You've made it this far you can make it a little bit longer. It's worth it in the end. -Sam*  
*Hey let me guess you know the same thing Callen does & this is your warning of what's to come. Kind of like the Ghost of Christmas Future, just w/ the talking...well txting -D*

*Just remember Deeks, it's worth it. Mich promises its worth it too -Sam*  
*Thanks Sam & tell Michelle I said thanks too. I gotta go Kens is coming back in. -D*  
*Good luck man – Sam*

"So what's the time table?" He asked her softly as he set his phone back down.

"Marty..." she trailed off softly with soft, teary eyes.

"You know what, I don't want to know," he quickly told her as he stood up. Walking around her and moving into the kitchen, he continued babbling away, "You want a light snack or another Mountain Dew? If you want a light lunch I can try up some of the turkey from your mom for sandwiches and we can find something else to go with it, maybe a salad, or a piece of your pie? How about a turkey fried sandwich and a piece of pie, the perfect Kensi Blye combo? Yeah sounds good, good. I'm just going to..."

"Deeks," Kensi said grabbing him at his elbow and quickly turning him towards her surprising him because he never heard her approaching.

_Damn ninja_ he thought before saying out loud, "Wow you are seriously getting Hetty worthy of sneaking up on people, we can definitely use that in the field. Pretty soon you'll be making even Sam and Callen jump too. I mean..."

"Deeks!" Kensi's loud voice carried through his babbling.

"Kens please I..." he started to say softly.

"Marty Deeks you need to listen to what I'm about to say," she told him softly caressing her cheek with her teary eyes.

"No Kensi, I really don't because I already know what you're going to say," he told her with his arms crossed over his chest as he closed his eyes and rested his head against the fridge he was pushed up against, "I really, really don't want to hear you give me this big long loving speech about how you'll miss me and you'll think of me, and all that before making me promise you to not die when I should be asking you to promise me it because you're the one that's going back to Afghanistan and honestly Kensi I can't, I really don't know..."

"How about a big long loving speech about how I've missed you, I always think of you and I'll always be here to make sure you keep your promise to me and I'll make the same promise to you because I'm _not_ going back to Afghanistan, _I'll Be Home for Christmas_ Marty," Kensi told him as she smiled as Rascal Flatt's I'll Be Home for Christmas played softly in the background, "I'm home for a long, long time Marty Deeks."

_Not going back to Afghanistan, not going back to Afghanistan, not going back to Afghanistan_ kept running through his head before it finally registered as he pulled a teary Kensi tightly into his arms and buried his head in her shoulder as they both wept tears of joy.

**DENSI*IS*ENDGAME**

"God you were right, you're mom is definitely a too much is never enough kind of person," Deeks told her later that night as they walked into the apartment after having been at Julia's house to decorate for Christmas after they had finished decorating both of their apartments and even having an impromptu party at Julia's house to celebrate Kensi's good news.

"Definitely, I'd like to think I'll never get that crazy, but you've seen my apartment and decorations and would agree I could be close," Kensi replied as she slipped off her UGGs while he unhooked Monty from his leash.

"You are," he agreed with a smile, slipping off his boots and unzipping his jacket while she hung up hers.

"Do you want to watch a movie or something?" Kensi asked as she held his hot chocolate from Starbucks so he could take off his jacket and hang it up.

"Actually I think we need to have that long story talk now," Deeks informed her, "but only if you're up to it because we've both had a long day and I've heard several big yawns escape those kissable lips of yours."

"No, we need to talk. I'll be good once this hot chocolate and all that caffeine from today kicks in," she told him as she sat on his couch and grabbed the remote for the TV and DirecTV box and turned it on while patting the seat next to her for him to sit down while Monty curled up on the other side of her.

"If your sure," he told her as he moved to turn the Christmas lights on outside of the apartment and throughout the inside of the apartment including the tree while also turning up the heat to take care of the chilly California night air.

"I am," she replied as she looked to see what Christmas movies were on the Hallmark Channel and then on ABC Family, and not finding anything really interesting on both she turned it onto the Holidays & Happenings music channel just in time for the start of Reba McEntire's version of _Silent Night_.

"Good," he said softly, "I'm going to go change into some pajama pants so I'm more comfortable."

"Mmkay, we'll be here," Kensi told him with a smile as she put her head back with her eyes closed as she stroked Monty's fur.

Deeks smiled and quickly took a picture of Kensi and Monty with the serene look on their faces as the Christmas lights from the window behind the couch twinkled against their faces. Setting the picture as his background, he quickly sent it to all that mattered as he entered his bedroom where he quickly pulled on a pair of red and white plaid pajama bottoms and a white v-neck t-shirt. Hearing his phone go off several times, he smiled at the various texts from their family and friends at the comments that were almost all identical saying they had never seen Kensi so more at peace or looking so soft and secure, and thanking him for his part in bringing a side like that out in her. Smiling, he sent quick one to two worded replies back and then shut off his phone, knowing that if they were needed for a case or if something else came up that needed his immediate attention they'd text or call Kensi's phone.

"There now I'm ready," he told his girlfriend as he walked over to her with a smile after turning off all the over head lights and letting the Christmas lights illuminate the apartment as he grabbed the fuzzy Christmas plaid blanket from the one chair and brought it over with him as well as his hot chocolate and Monty's doggie themed fuzzy Christmas blanket too.

"Mmkay," Kensi replied lifting her head up and snuggling into his side once he sat down. Taking the blanket from Marty, she covered Monty up with his blanket while Deeks tucked the other one around them before wrapping his arms around her.

"Where do you want to start?" He asked her gently.

"From the beginning," she told him with her chin resting on his shoulder coaxing his head to turn towards hers and letting her place a kiss on his lips before she rested her cheek agains the same shoulder.

"Okay," he gently told her as he placed a kiss on the top of her head before resting his head there and lacing their fingers together in his lap above the blanket.

"Sam and Callen were getting ready to leave for the night and I told them I was waiting for you and before they could tease me Granger comes up with Hetty and tells me 'Pack your bags Agent Blye, you've been reassigned' and then Hetty went on telling Sam, Callen and I that she was the one that reassigned me, not Granger; that was at about the same time I got the text from you that you were almost on at Mission. I wanted so badly to be able to say goodbye and to tell you that I hoped you'd be there when I got back, but I wasn't allowed to and I knew that if I protested any more then they might not let us be partners ever again and we both know how it ends up when we're not there watching each other's backs."

"Terrible," he agreed softly, "we always worry about the other and can't concentrate on the partner were with because we're too worried about whose watching the others back."

"Mhm, and sure we still worry about the other when we're partnered together but at least we know how to operate and work efficiently with the other and still get home safe," she added before continuing on with her story, "I didn't find out why or what the assignment was until I reached Afghanistan and I was there for a couple of days. I felt so alone and so out of place, I kept getting asked if this person or that person was getting replaced and that's why I was there and my reply was always the same 'I don't think so, I have a partner and ongoing cases in Los Angeles, so...'"

"Partner huh?" He semi-joked.

"And more," she promised softly as her hand tightened in his.

"Good to know," he told her with a smile bringing their entwined hands up together to place a kiss on the back of her hand, "good to know."

Kensi lightly laughed before taking a sip of her white hot chocolate and continuing on with her story as she used her spare hand to stroke Monty's fur when he moved closer to them, resting his head on her legs, "Anyways, a few days later who show's up but Granger. When I asked him what he was doing there he told me he wasn't, making me assume I wasn't either. And I asked him why and he told me, and that's when it all started...he told me..."

"Kens are you sure you should be telling me this?" He asked her gently, "I mean it's not that I'm not grateful but I don't want you to get in trouble for divulging this information to me."

"I'm sharing this information with you because not only do I trust you with it, but I need to share this with you incase it ever come back to haunt me," Kensi told him as she picked her head up from his shoulder and looked him in the eyes. Caressing his cheek, she continued on, "Plus Hetty and Granger gave me to go ahead to tell you so, we're both in the clear."

"I understand," he told her and he did after everything with the Sidrov case he had a new meaning of cases coming back to haunt him.

"The locals call him spreme marie, The White Ghost. We didn't know who he was or where he's was from, but we thought he was a Westener working with the Taliban," Kensi told him.

"American?" He asked shocked.

"That's what I thought too," she told him with a smile.

"Great minds think alike," he told her with a cheeky smile.

"I wouldn't go that far now," she shot back causing him to chuckle and place a kiss on her temple as she carried on, "Granger told me it was possible that he was a private contractor who went native. Initially they thought it was disinformation or tribal legend, but then the insurgents started employing advanced combat tactics that someone had been teaching them."

"So you were sent over there to find this White Ghost?" He asked her confused.

Kensi picked her head up and shook it, locking her eyes with his, "It turns out they, Hetty and Granger, wanted me to become my dad..."

"You were sent over there to become an assassin?!" He asked shocked and angry, his anger directed at Hetty and Granger though and not his girl.

"Yep," she replied popping her 'p' and seeing his face, she gently kissed is lips and continued on, "turns out there was more to the story than anyone, including them, thought, but I will get to that soon."

"Yes you will," he told her, his anger still visible and his now navy almost black eyes.

"It turns out there was numerous attempts to catch The White Ghost when he was in the States but the Red Team kept coming up empty until so kept having to re-track him. We both know the problem with trying to catch someone so many times and keep having to re-track them, they learn the ins and outs of losing us. So when new intel came up of him being in Afghanistan meeting with the higher ups in Al-Queda, Hetty thought it'd be the perfect time to through in a wildcard, someone White Ghost didn't know and wouldn't know how they tract criminals, or just exactly they're capable of. On the phone, I learned it was also a test for us as a couple because Hetty and Granger wanted to see how we could handle our kind of work and being a couple.

Anyways, it turned out that while White Ghost was meeting with the higher ups of Al-Queda he was making a name for himself; earning their respect and support therefore allowing them to work together to plan something bigger than 9/11 while in past events, The White Ghost just hit all sorts of targets from hotels sponsoring international peace talks to United States consulates in foreign countries and to our troops whether they be in training or deployed. Up until recently, we had no idea what he was planning and then Tel Aviv happened, stuff was found out, and the mission took a new course."

"What happened in Tel Aviv to make the missions course change?" He asked her.

"I found out who The White Ghost was," Kensi told him softly.

"How'd you manage that?" He asked her shocked and wide-eyed, "Who was it?"

"Someone I had an intimate connection with at one point," she said softly as her eyes locked on the Christmas tree and stayed there, "my ex-fiance Jack Masterson, or as he started going by over there Issamaysin Alah Dabommsinit, an ex-US Marine Corps Forces Sepcial Operations Command..."

"MARSOC," he softly abbreviated, letting her know he was following her.

"Someone did they're Special Agent homework," she said with a sligh laugh, "I guess it turns out you never really know who you're dating, or sleeping next too, or plan to marry huh?"

Deeks just remained quiet and pulled her a little tigheter, not taking offense to her question, knowing that she wasn't including him in that statement so, instead he just asked, "So was he a terrorist before you were dating, or did it happen after because I can't fantom why someone would betray their own country?"

"From what I could gather at first, he could have been a terrorist when we met, or at least just getting into the business, but I also think it all started on his first deployment to Afghanistan then later Iraq. So I'm over there and once the shock where's off, I got down to basics: American terrorist with SpecOps training who is training the insurgents while also becoming a full blown Al-Queda ally, does this terrorist have his own network, or is he using Al-Queda's, or both or is there more to the story?

We later found out that he unfortunately, had both his own network and was using Al-Queda's too which was becoming more and more troublesome not just to the United States but to our alley's too. The White Ghost had not only a large support group within Al-Queda and their support groups, but also his own support groups all around the world; he still does unfortunately.

I had seen him in Tel Aviv which looked nothing like the man I knew, well at least I thought I knew, so it was difficult especially when he was so good at finding the blind spots and sticking to them, I mean he was SpecOps so he was trained to become and move invisibily so I had to think...well, like a SpecOps Marine. I put myself in my father's shoes and zone out becoming the one thing I never wanted to become – a cold blooded assassin with no concious of who I hurt or cause damage to along the way. Kensi was gone and Kristen came out to play."

"Kristen?"

"Kristen Harper, she's an alias of mine that is used with an alias of Callen's and they're both like your Max Gentry, but if you can believe it they're a little worse," Kensi told him, "I'll tell you the full story one day with hopes that I never have to become her again."

"I'll remember that," he told her, "I'd like to see why you say your Kristen is worse than my Max."

"Anyways, I pulled out all the stops and even had Granger who had Hetty send my dad's Sniper Book to me so I could use some of the techiniques in there to track him and bring him down, but I," she told him and with a heavy sigh and her eyes still locked on the Christmas tree, "I couldn't do it on my own. I needed a little bit more stealth and I needed a partner, and knowing that I couldn't have you, and I didn't want to bring you in even if it was an option because I needed to keep you safe and far away from the warzone as possible, I went for the next best partner."

"Who?" He asked her curious, wondering if it was a female or male.

"She's a very, very good friend of mine and if you saw how she operates you'd say that she and I went to ninja school together and in a way we kind of did," she told him with a chuckle, "anyways, I flew back to Tel Aviv and I finally tracked her down, telling her my story and knowing that she might not help me because she was on a different path in her life. So I was shocked when Ziva wanted to hear nothing more about me operating alone, she was rather ticked and wanted to beat me for operating alone, went on reaming me about not having a partner I could trust and knew how I opperate. Ziva truly became my safe haven over there."

"Ziva as in..." he trailed off in realization.

"Ziva David, ex-Mossad-Liason turned American citizen and offical NCIS Special Agent, then yes," she said, "and if you know her better as Ziva David, Tony's partner of ten almost eleven years, and his one true love then yes that is she."

"Do I even want to know how you two met?" He asked her with a chuckle, placing a kiss on the top of her head.

Smirking she replied, "Probably not."

"So Ziva became your partner, what happened next?"

"A wrench was thrown in the mix, two actually," the brunette replied before taking a sip of her drink. Finishing up the hot chocolate, she stood up and walked over to the fridge and pulled out two beers. Walking back to the couch, she popped to the tops off before resumming her position beside him and Monty as she continued on with her story, "The first wrench came in the shape of CIA Special Activities Division Agent Sabintino."

"You mean..." he trailed off wide-eyed.

"The one you were jealous of, yes," she replied with a smirk as she clinked their bottles together, "it turns out that he did go back to Washington like he told us, but then when he was supposed to be on the stolen nukes case, he got pulled from that and shipped off to Afghanistan to do recon on The White Ghost. When Ziva and I got back from Tel Aviv and after Ziva was reinstated as a NCIS Agent, that was the first time we saw him, and soon later that's when he told me."

"Told you what?" He asked her, that knot in his stomach that was ever present when it came to the CIA Agent who he knew had the hots for his partner.

"About what happened to the sniper before me, something Granger and Hetty forgot to mention," she said softly before taking a long pull of her alcohol.

"Okay and?"

"It turns out the sniper before me was caught and when Sabintino found his body in the dessert days later, he was dead and they still haven't recovered his head," she told him softly.

"Oh God," was his soft reply with wide eyes before it was his turn to take a long pull of his beer.

"Yeah that was basically my reaction before I confronted Granger about it, who of course gave me some bullshit excuse," she continued with a nod of her head as she took another drink of her Samual Adams Winter Lager, "Where was I...oh, yeah, the second wrench came a day or two later from Hetty who somehow had managed to get Vance to sneak me a Sat-Phone and Gibbs to slip one to Ziva once he was read in while we were in Tel Aviv; each phone had its own secure line for us to use. So she calls me and asks me these questions and then she hints to me to look for leaks inside of the task force, that maybe someone was working for the enemy behind enemy lines, giving away our locations and strageties, and helping The White Ghost and the insurgents to evade us. It was strange because to me it sounded like Hetty knew who it was, or had an inkling to who the mole was, and wanted me to check it out before she confirmed it to the higher ups, or informed Granger – I still don't know if he knew beforehand about the possiblity of having a mole in the task force.

So Ziva and I did as Hetty suggested and planted some fake information shared in 'secrecy and the guise of trust of a teammate', telling each person a different lie but also making sure that they were close to the same story so when or if put together it would all make sense and still give us the guise of good information sharing teammates."

"So did you find out who the mole was?" He asked her after taking a sip of his drink.

"Oh yeah, and to tell you the truth I had an inkling about it as did Ziva, and we were just confirming it," the girlfriend replied, "turns out it was the same person Hetty suspected too, and it turns out there were two moles in the task force."

"Really?" The boyfriend asked as he sat up and grabbed their empty bottles to take the kitchen. Dropping them in the recycling bin, he reached for two new ones and opened them before crossing back into the living room and resuming his position.

"Yeah, the second came as a shocker though," Kensi admitted as she clincked their bottles again, "but we found him, well _her_ nonetheless and that is a story in and of itself that I will get to later."

"There's another one I'm holding you too," he told her with a smirk.

"Oh I know," she told him before continuing on...

"...So after our evaluations with Nate in DC, we were cleared to go back to our lifes and resume them like we'd never left," Kensi said finishing up her story as she finished her third beer. Standing up, she took their empty bottles and moved to recycle them before grabbing two Aquafina's, "but we, Ziva and I, knew life wouldn't really be the same, not really but we'd do our best – starting with surprising our significant others/partners for the holidays."

"Yeah, how'd you manage that, especially when Ziva arrived with Tony and they all arrived before you?" He asked her as he opened his water taking a sip of it with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, Tony and the others besides Gibbs and Aunt Jen never knew I was back in the States," she began to explain with a proud smile, "luckily Ziva can keep a secret, but anyways, the DC team were called to a fake crime scene. Now keep in mind Uncle Gibbs knew that the whole thing was a set up, nevertheless he played it off as just any other normal case still keeping up with the interrogation techniques, head slaps, mysteriousness, and bossiness so nothing would raise red flags with Tony, McGee, Abby, Ducky, Palmer or Bishop."

"Bishop?" Deeks asked her confused.

"Ziva's replacement who now is going to become their analyst because with Ziva back, she feels she's better suited to be an analyst instead of a field agent, especially with her and husband talking about having kids in the next year and half or two." Kensi replied with a smile, "She's a nice girl from what we were told although Ziva did almost kill her with a paperclip until she found out Bishop was married. Anyways, so Ziva and I with the help of Vance and Gibbs and a few things here and there from Hetty and her DC contacts, we managed to pull off the perfect fake crime. Finally, after a day and half of watching them run around like they're chickens with their heads cut off we put the last step of our plan into action – Gibbs not acting like Gibbs after being 'knocked out'."

"Why do I like the sound of this?" He asked with a smirk.

"Because it's pretty funny," she told him, "so once Gibbs gets 'checked out' by Ducky, who confirms that he has no concussion so when they get back to NCIS Headquarters, Uncle Gibbs starts actin all sorts of un-Gibbs like – laughing, making jokes, coming up with crazy theroies, sharing tidbits of his past, and here's the kicker, no drinking any coffee."

"Whoa!"

"Yep," she replied with a bright smile as she popped her 'p', "so finally he tells them he can't work any more or think about the case anymore and the only way to help him think is grabbing some pie."

"Pie, really? Pie?"

"Yes sir-ree, so while they, Ducky, Abby, Jimmy, McGee and Tony, all went with Gibbs to grab pie because they didn't want to let him out of their sight with the way he was acting, Director Vance snuck Ziva, who was watching everything along with Vance and myself in his office, into the bullpen by coming up with some fake mandatory meeting for all agents, leaving the bullpen open. So we waited until finally the elevator doors opened and all you could hear was the team asking Ducky to recheck Gibbs head injury and that's when Ziva comments from where she was sitting at Tony's desk, that she didn't hit him that hard and to give her some credit with knowing her own strength and when to pull her punches. And all I can say about after that comment, everyone was truly stunned into silence."

"Wow," the boyfriend replied not knowing what else to say before he took a sip of his water. After capping it back up, he turned to his girlfriend and asked with a smile, "So that was Ziva's surprise homecoming, how about yours now?"

"Ah now that was fun and is an equally fun story that I will enjoy telling for probably the rest of my life," she admitted with a huge grin that over took her face causing one to spread across his too as he pulled her to him so she was sitting across his lap, making their canine companion wine at the lose of contact from Kensi's lap and rubs.

"Sorry boy but she was and is Daddy's first," he told his beloved friend causing Kensi to roll her eyes but laugh nonetheless. "It's the truth! Now story time please!"

"How about we both get ready for bed first... and then I'll tell you in bed?" She suggested around a yawn.

"Okay," he replied and with a twinkle in his eye he stood up with her held bridal style in his arms causing her to squeal at the sudden movement.

"Marty Deeks," Kensi said with a heartwarming laugh.

"Kensi Blye," he shot back with a smirk.

"At least me let me get our drinks you big dork," she told him and laughed as he bent down so she could grab their waters before walking with her still in his arms towards the front door.

"Make sure the doors locked and the timer is set for the lights to go off, both indoor and outdoor lights," he asked her kindly a grin still on his face.

"Mkay," was her only reply as she unwound one arm from around his neck, the one that wasn't holding their drinks, and made sure the deadbolt and lock were in place and the timer was set, "All done up."

"Good now let's go to bed because I want my story," he told her as he began walking towards the bedroom that he secretly had come to call as theirs and without him knowing, she thought the same thing.

Once in the bedroom, Kensi laughed as he gently threw her onto the middle of the bed before flopping down next to her. Smiling and still laughing, they both turned their heads to face each other and watch the other before calming down and giving each other a kiss. Turning down the bed and crawling underneath the blankets, the couple curled up in the middle of the bed together with Deeks on his best and Kensi drapped over his left side before Monty came and laid at the bottom by there feet.

"So my surprise homecoming story, huh?" Kensi asked him with a smile. Placing a kiss on his bare chest over his beating heart, she folded her arms over his pecs and propped her chin up on her hands as she told him the story. "So when I first arrived in DC, I didn't know that all the gang was heading to Mom's for Thanksgiving; I thought it was just going to be Aunt Jen, Uncle Gibbs, and Ducky. I soon also learned that to my surprise my whole team was going to celebrate with my mom which came as a shock to me because I know how hard Thanksgiving is for you."

"It used to be," was his soft admission as he ran his hand through her chocolate curls as he listened to her bedtime story.

"So when Aunt Jen let it slip to Mom that I was back in the States and on my way home, it took all of our cross-country strength to real Mom in before she blurted it out to everyone, to you. When we did we told her our plan: Uncle Gibbs and Aunt Jen would arrive two days ahead of time as plan, the rest of the group would arrive on Thanksgiving along with everyone else and give you all the chance to catch up with Ziva, and myself would ride with their group but hang back at my apartment and get ready until it was time to make my appearance. There's more tidbits to the story and all of that, but that's the main jist of the whole story, if you want all the little pieces you would have to ask Hetty because in truth she planned the whole thing – she made sure we were on the first flight out of Afghanistan after the mission was done, that we got debriefed quickly, and moved to get our pysch evales done. Hell she even moved through hell and high water to make sure Nate was the one to do the evales, and thank God she did because besides you, Nate is the only one who knows how to get me to talk to them and open up to them. Do you know that he's the one over here and Ziva was the one over there, who told me to 'Let It Go' just let it all go. I had to laugh at the irony of the Demi Lovato song 'Let It Go' because it was from the new Disney movie 'Frozen' and it fit my frozen lake theory to you perfectly. So now I just play that song and remember to let it all go because I just have to turn my back and slam the door, knowing the cold never bothered me anyway, so I can stand frozen in the life I've chosen because the past is all behind me, buried in the snow surrounding _our_ frozen lake. Nothing matters because the fears that once controlled me, can't get to me at all anymore because you came into my life and showed me what it's like to be loved and to be able to love again, knowing that the people who really love you would go to the ends of the earth for you, or stand in a laser-bomb triggering room with you when the most sensible thing to do is call the bomb squad."

Deeks just smiled as his fingers caressed her cheek as he locked his teary blues with Kensi's teary browns, "Oh Kens..."

She just smiled and continue on, "They helped me realize that it's time to see what we can do as a couple and that it's time for us to test the limits and break through because the storm will rage on, for both of us, but it's about damn time that we stop taking in our surroundings and going super slow on the ice and work towards getting off of the lake."

"God I love you," was his only reply as a wide smile took over his face, almost looking as if it could split it in two.

"It goes without saying anymore, that I love you too, Marty Deeks," Kensi replied before connecting their lips in a passionate kiss, letting the whole world go and letting the storm rage on around them, but never touching them because the cold never bothered them anyway.

The End?

* * *

_**Well, that is is! I hope you guys like it. I think I did, especially since this was a hard yet equally fun story to right, especially the whole 'Let It Go' part because I love that song, live by it now, and think it fits perfectly with Densi after Kensi's whole 'Frozen Lake saying'. How about you all? By the way, may I suggest listening to the song – by either Demi Lovato or Idina Menzel, both are equally ah-fricking-mazing and I can never decide which I love better so I just have them both on my iPod on repeat. **_

_**Merry Christmas everyone and look for some Christmas prompts by me too! I find that I love writing Densi the most now!**_

_**Merry Christmas,  
Jess LA, xo**_

**Let it go, let it go  
Can't hold back anymore  
Let it go, let it go  
Turn my back and slam the door  
And here I stand, and here I'll stay  
Let it go, let it go  
The cold never bothered me anyway**  
_~ "Let It Go" from Disney's "Frozen" by either Demi Lovato or Idina Menzel_


End file.
